


Back in Black

by samsimpala



Series: The Messenger of God Saga [9]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: F/M, Mark of Cain (Supernatural), Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Season/Series 10
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-12
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-07 16:01:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 46
Words: 94,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26970331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/samsimpala/pseuds/samsimpala
Summary: Sam and Dean are searching for Angela, who has recently become a demon. How will they deal with everything after she's cured? How are they going to save her from the fate of the Mark of Cain? Find out in Back in Black! Revision of Season 10. Sam x OC.
Relationships: Sam Winchester/Original Female Character(s)
Series: The Messenger of God Saga [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1888270
Kudos: 4





	1. Black Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hey, y'all! Welcome to Back in Black, the NINTH installment of The Messenger of God Saga! It involves my OC, Angela Morgan, a hunter from a long line. This will be a revision of season 10, and will follow the POV of Sam, Dean, and Angela, so some parts may be missing.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Supernatural or the characters. I just own Angela and Grace :)

Dar was bleeding from several wounds, and she was tied to a tree with her hands suspended above her head.

Dar breathed heavily. "I heard the rumors. I said, 'No, that can't be. A Winchester? One of us?'" she glared. "But it's true, isn't it? Whatever soul you had, whatever boy scout code you cuddled up to at night, it's all gone. Leaving what?" she spat. "Look at you."

"Where is Crowley?" Sam demanded, glowering down at Dar.

"Eat me," Dar growled.

"Mm." Dean hummed, cutting Dar with the demon knife. "One more time, sister. Where is Crowley?"

Dar screamed in pain as Dean cut her with the demon knife again.

"Where is my wife?" Sam demanded loudly.

"I don't know!" Dar cried.

"Then you're gonna call somebody who does." Dean retorted, slashing her with the knife again.

"No one knows!" Dar exclaimed. "They won't answer!"

"Make the call!" Sam commanded angrily.

"Please!" Dar sobbed.

"Where's my wife?!" Sam roared.

~/~\~

_Lebanon, Kansas_

The table in the Men of Letters library was covered in various books and files on demonic possession. Sam was on the phone as Dean flipped through one of the books. Grace was currently at Jody's house in Sioux Falls.

"Right, right." Sam sighed heavily. "So, no noticeable crop failures, no mass cattle deaths, nothing?"

 _"No, nothing on the radar, nothing on the scope."_ Mike's voice rang through. _"I'd say that's a good thing."_

"No, yeah, yeah, yeah, you're right. I hear you, Mike. Thanks. That is a good thing." Sam replied. "Alright, well keep me posted if anything does pop up."

 _"Alright. Watch yourself, Sam."_ Mike replied.

"I will. You got it. Thanks." Sam sighed before hanging up.

"Anything?" Dean looked up from the book he was looking at.

"No," Sam replied dejectedly.

"Sammy, we'll find her," Dean assured comfortingly.

Sam just nodded silently and stood up, adjusting the sling on his arm. He walked to the room where Angela's body had been and picked up a folded note from the pillow. Angela's engagement rings fell from inside the note and the note read, _'SAMMY, LET ME GO.'_

~/~\~

The next morning Sam sat in the kitchen with his breakfast and a cup of coffee, still researching on his laptop. He frowned deeply when a page about a _'Missing Ohio Man Found Slain in Wisconsin'_ caught his eye. Sam immediately picked up his phone and dialed.

 _"Sam. Hello."_ Castiel's voice rang through after a few rings.

"I think I might have found something," Sam replied.

 _"Oh, good, good."_ Castiel coughed painfully.

"Cas?" Sam's brows furrowed in concern. "You there?"

 _"It's okay, I'm… um… I'm okay. Go… go on."_ Castiel continued coughing.

"Alright, get this." Sam started. "A 'John Doe' who was murdered in Wisconsin a week ago turned out to be this guy named Drew Nealy who went missing from a religious order in Northern Ohio… okay?"

 _"Yeah?"_ Castiel coughed violently.

"Now, Drew Nealy had been missing for 3 years." Sam continued. "Killed his wife, his kids… just disappeared. I know it's thin, but… if this guy was possessed…"

 _"That would make him the first…"_ Castiel started before he had another coughing fit.

"The first lead, the first anything we've seen in…" Sam stopped himself, hearing Castiel's nonstop coughing.

 _"Sorry."_ Castiel apologized after he stopped coughing.

"Actually…" Sam pursed his lips. "You know what…. Now that I'm looking at this more, I think I uh… I think I jumped the gun here, buddy."

 _"No, Sam, you said it was something,"_ Castiel argued.

"Yeah… uh… it's… it's not. I was wrong, sorry." Sam sighed.

 _"I can help,"_ Castiel assured.

"Cas… we tried that," Sam replied gently.

_"Sam… you can't blame what that demon did to your shoulder on me; you were out of…"_

"I'm not, I'm not blaming anything on you," Sam assured. "What happened, happened, and… you need to be worrying about yourself. I really shouldn't have bothered you."

 _"How are you, Sam?"_ Castiel asked curiously.

"Good. I'm alright. I'm just… tired, you know." Sam replied. "Be better when we get her back… after… after I kick her butt."

 _"I miss her,"_ Castiel commented.

"Yeah." Sam agreed. "I miss her, too. More than anything."

 _"Why would she just disappear?"_ Castiel questioned.

"Who says she had a choice?" Sam retorted.

 _"Well, then, who wrote the note? If there's any chance… any chance at all that Angela is still…"_ Castiel trailed off.

"Still… even remotely Angie?" Sam swallowed nervously.

~/~\~

_Beulah, North Dakota_

Angela stood on the stage at the bar, drunkenly singing _'I'm Too Sexy.'_

"I'm too sexy for my love; too sexy for my love; love's going to leave me." Angela sang badly.

The crowd was booing Angela's terrible singing, but she clearly didn't give a damn. She smiled flirtatiously at one of the bartenders, Max. He acknowledged her with a smile as he walked by. Crowley sat at a nearby table in the bar, talking to two other men.

"I'm too sexy for my shirt," Angela sang even more off-key. "Too sexy for my shirt, so sexy it hurts. And I'm too sexy for Milan; too sexy for Milan, New York, and Japan!"

"Turn it off!" some girl in the crowd yelled.

"Everybody!" Angela called out before she took a swig from her beer bottle.

~/~\~

Angela was in bed and rolled off of Max, both of them naked except for the bedsheet. Angela had a satisfied smirk on her lips.

"Okay. Wow." Max chuckled deeply. "What time is it? The boss is gonna kill me if I'm late from my break again."

Angela reached over to look at the clock. "Oops."

"Dammit!" Max muttered as he hurriedly got dressed. "I told you to hurry it up! But then you had to go and do the things with the… thing."

"Oh, you mean that thing that you were _begging_ for?" Angela quirked a brow.

"Begging you to hurry it up, maybe." Max teased.

"Well, let's not argue about good sex," Angela replied with a small shrug.

"It was good, wasn't it?" Max smirked.

"Mmm-hmm." Angela hummed. "Just, uh… don't get too excited, you know. Or too attached… 'cause I'm just… rollin' through, hon."

Max scoffed lightly. "You know, there's about a million other ways you could have said that."

Suddenly, the motel room door opened to reveal a perturbed-looking Crowley.

"Whoa!" Angela exclaimed incredulously.

"Whoa?" Crowley frowned. "What's going on here?"

Angela rolled her eyes. "What's it look like?"

"In _my_ bed?" Crowley scoffed.

"What?" Angela looked around, shrugging, a small smirk gracing her lips. "Oh, yeah…"

"Bitch." Crowley sneered.

"You love me." Angela retorted.

"Get a room, you two." Max teased in jest.

"Had a room… until you two _soiled_ it," Crowley muttered.

"Bye-bye Crowley." Max chuckled as he walked out of the room.

Angela stood up after she pulled on her shirt. She smiled at Crowley with a snarky grin on her face.

"Pants?" Crowley raised his brows.

Angela's grin grew slightly. "You love the view, Crowley."

~/~\~

Western music played in the bar as Angela and Crowley faced off at foosball against two young men.

"Best of three. Losers buy the beer." Crowley offered.

"Lots of beer." Angela agreed.

"Max seemed nice. Slightly damaged." Crowley commented as they started the game. "Almost reminds me of Moose."

"Shut up." Angela retorted. "He means nothing to me."

"Good, good. 'Cause you and I, we're rolling stones. No distractions." Crowley replied. "Lock it down! Lock it down!"

"Stop talking," Angela growled.

"You're bodging it!" Crowley snapped as the other team scored.

"Aw. If you'd shut up…" Angela groaned. "Keep talking—I can't play the game."

Angela was suddenly distracted by a man grabbing some girl and hauling her out of the bar. Both Angela and Crowley followed them outside, noticing that the man was getting rough with the girl.

"Get off me." The girl demanded.

"Why are you doing this to me?!" the man snapped angrily.

"You need to calm down!"

"Where were you?" the man interrogated.

"Stop it!" the girl pleaded.

"Something wrong, here?" Angela asked as she approached.

"It's none of your business." The man glared down at her.

"Hm." Angela nodded, pursing her lips. "Well, it seems like you're bothering this girl, so…"

Angela grabbed the man and threw him on the hood of a nearby car and started to punch him violently.

"Angela!" Max yelled as he looked on from nearby.

"You need to get away from here." Angela snarled at the man. "Don't try and contact her. In fact, don't even think about her. You understand me?!"

Angela continued to punch the man until he was barely conscious before walking back into the bar with Crowley. Max's horrified gaze followed her.

~/~\~

_Amherst Junction, Wisconsin_

Sam and Dean walked into the police station with one of the officers.

"Appreciate you coming down, agents." The officer started. "But I'm afraid you may have just cost Uncle Sam a tank of gas."

"Oh, why's that?" Dean asked curiously.

"You came up here to investigate Drew Nealy's murder, right?" the officer asked.

"Right," Sam confirmed.

"Problem is, no one's certain it was a murder at all." The officer shrugged.

Sam's brows furrowed in confusion. "Okay, then what are we dealing with here? A suicide?"

"Self-defense, more likely." The officer replied. "Uh, the surveillance footage was corrupted. Our techies finally managed to clean up the file. Hold on a sec now…"

~/~\~

_Beulah, North Dakota_

Angela walked out of _'The Black Spur'_ later that night and paused for a moment, sensing someone near her.

"We can do this however you want." She called out. "Don't pretend I didn't see you this afternoon. Did you get a good look? You see my moves?" she drawled. "I hope so, 'cause I sure could use the competition."

Suddenly, a man stepped out from the shadows.

~/~\~

_Amherst Junction, Wisconsin_

"That Jane Doe there is the one you want to keep your eye on." The officer noted.

The surveillance footage started showing Angela in a gas station reading a magazine.

Sam's eyes widened as he stared at his wife. "Son of a bitch."

"Holy crap." Dean breathed out.

"Watch." The officer pressed.

~/~\~

_Beulah, North Dakota_

"Well, all you Abaddon groupies are the same, you know that?" Angela taunted. "You, the douche that jumped me at the gas station, you can't just accept that the queen is dead, can you?"

"Maybe we just can't accept that a bitch like you was the one who killed her." The man sneered.

"Ah." Angela nodded. "Yeah, that's got to hurt, doesn't it?"

Angela removed the First Blade from under her jacket and the man's eyes flashed black.

~/~\~

_Amherst Junction, Wisconsin_

"Okay, now, she's just minding her own business." The officer explained. "And there's Drew Nealy. See the knife?"

"Yeah." Sam and Dean replied.

"That's intent right there. Now watch this." The officer instructed.

Drew Nealy jumped Angela in the surveillance footage. Angela immediately pulled the First Blade from her jacket, swiftly killing Drew.

"Looks like a cutlass or something. I don't know what the hell this is." The officer commented. "Problem is, we don't know if the lady's a hero or a psychopath."

The officer stopped the tape on a closeup of Angela's face. Sam and Dean just stared at her image.

"That's the image that's getting uploaded to the wires." The officer noted.

Sam cleared his throat, recovering his voice. "Detective, do you mind if we, uh, take another look at this?"

"Knock yourselves out." He shrugged. "I'll be back in a few."

"Alright." Dean nodded as the officer left.

Sam rewound the tape and slowly went frame-by-frame on the closeup of Angela's face. He started back when Angela's eyes flashed to black. The anger flushed from Sam's face and Dean just stared in shock.

~/~\~

Sam and Dean were inside the Gas-n-Sip questioning the attendant, Mickey.

"Oh, yeah. That chick was an animal." Mickey recalled. "Bro came at her like, 'what?!' and she was all like, 'wha-a-at? Say my name! Say my name! Say my name!' And there was a lot of blood."

"Right." Dean pursed his lips. "Um… When the woman, uh, when she came in, did she… say anything?"

"No." Mickey shrugged. "Went straight to the magazine rack."

"Did she buy anything? Did she—did she use a credit card?" Sam questioned, earning a blank look from Mickey. "So, some woman comes in, kills a guy in your store on your watch, and you just—you what? Just keep on keepin' on?"

"You mean when that chick was stabbing the guy to death 10 feet in front of me, and I was having a total code-brown moment in my favorite freakin' pants because I thought I was next, did I conduct a field interview?" Mickey raised his brows. "No." he pulled out a phone from behind the counter. "Oh, hey. Uh, can you do me a solid? Found this wedged under the T.P. I think it's the dead guy's phone, and, uh, if you're heading back to the station…"

~/~\~

Sam and Dean stood outside of the Gas-n-Sip scrolling through Drew Nealy's phone. Sam pulled up a text message that read, _'Winchester. Amherst Junction, WI Gas-n-Sip B/W 11a-12p. Long live Abaddon.'_ Sam dialed the number and put it on speaker.

 _"You're dead."_ Crowley's voice rang through.

"Nope," Sam replied. "Just using a dead man's phone."

 _"Moose. Took you long enough."_ Crowley sassed. _"Your wife and I were beginning to wonder if you'd hit another dog. You know?"_

Sam clenched his jaw tightly. "My wife is _dead,_ Crowley. I know you have some freaking demon parading around in her meatsuit, and trust me, you are gonna pay for that."

 _"Moose. Moose. I'm afraid you haven't allowed yourself to dream quite big enough here."_ Crowley retorted. _"Your wife is very much alive, courtesy of the mark. And the only demonized soul inside of Angela is hers and hers alone. Wee bit more twisted, a little more mangled beyond human recognition, but, I can assure you, all hers. There, now. Feel better?"_

"And the, uh, Abaddon supporters you've been sending to kill Angie, how does she feel about that double-cross?" Dean demanded.

 _"If that's what you think is happening, Squirrel, then you two are more out of your depths than I thought,"_ Crowley replied.

"I don't know how you did this, what kind of… Black-magic stunt you pulled, but hear me," Sam threatened. "I _will_ save my wife or die trying."

 _"You know what tickles me about all this?"_ Crowley asked. _"It's what's really eating you up. You don't care that she's a demon. Heck, you've been a demon. We've all been demons. No, it's that she's with me and she's having the time of her life. You can't stand the fact that she's mine."_

"She's not your pet," Sam growled.

 _"My pet?"_ Crowley scoffed, almost offended. _"She's my best friend, my partner in crime. They'll write songs about us, graphic novels. 'The Misadventures of Crowley and Bambi.' Angela Winchester completes me, and that's what makes you lose your chickens."_

"I am going to find you, I am going to save my wife, and then I'm going to kill you dead," Sam promised.

 _"Well, that's the operative phrase, isn't it? 'Find you.' Good luck with that."_ Crowley replied before hanging up.

Sam clenched his jaw and Dean laid a comforting hand on his brother's shoulder. Sam set the phone next to his own on the hood of the car and traced the call to North Dakota.


	2. Black Part 2

_Beulah, North Dakota_

Angela was sitting at the bar with Crowley, both of them nursing their drinks.

"You sent those demons to _kill_ me?" Angela questioned.

"To keep you sharp." Crowley corrected.

"Really?" she quirked a brow.

"If it wasn't for me throwing demon chum your way, what do you think would've happened?" Crowley scoffed. "The mark needs to be sated. Otherwise—

"Otherwise, I turn into a demon. Yeah, yeah." Angela's eyes flashed black. "I sort of got that six weeks ago."

"Just trying to help." Crowley defended.

"You lied." Angela retorted.

"Who do you think you're talking to here? Does the tin man have a sheet-metal Willy? Of course, I lied." Crowley replied.

"Okay." Angela got up from her seat.

"Hey. Sit down. Sit." Crowley commanded.

Angela just stared Crowley down.

"I needed to keep you sharp for our future, about which we need to talk," Crowley explained.

"Our future?" Angela quirked a brow.

"Our _professional_ future." Crowley reminded. "How to put this? If I have to spend one more night in this fetid petri dish of broken dreams and B.O., I will cut off my own face."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Angela shrugged as she sat back down. "'Cause I'm good. Hell, I'm great."

"Really?" Crowley asked. "How many suicide wings can you eat? How many one-hit wonders can you karaoke to death?"

"Okay, see, the deal was we howl at the moon—no time stamp, no expiration date." She reminded.

"We've howled. We've bayed." Crowley sighed. "We've done extraordinary things to triplets, all of which have been massively entertaining. I will treasure our Flickr albums forever. But now it's time for us to accept what we are and go back to work."

Angela paused for a moment, pretending to think it over. "Pass."

"Think of it—the King of Hell, Angela Winchester by his side," Crowley started. "Together we rule. Together we create the perfect Hell. And all of this that's bloomed between us never ends. We're not ending the party. We're just moving the party. Out with the club circuit, in with the stadium tour. Oh," he added. "Did I forget to mention I spoke to Moose and Squirrel earlier?"

"What?" Angela narrowed her eyes.

"Yes. Uh, apparently, they have been tracking us for some time now." Crowley replied. "They got my text from the cell of that demon you stabbed in blah, blah, blah. It was—words were spoken—emotions. I realize, in retrospect, perhaps _too many_ words, too many emotions."

"They traced the call." Angela realized.

"My bad." Crowley shrugged. "I guess they'll be here by morning- the latest."

"You sold me out," Angela growled. "Well, that's just lovely."

"I don't know what's going on with you." Crowley shook his head. "I truly don't. But I've had just about enough. Sold you out? Try 'doing you a favor.' Everything I've done for you for the past six months—the mark, the First Blade, midwifing you back to life, offering you a seat by my side—has been a favor, a gift, whether you see it, or you don't. Take the night. Decide. You know where to find me."

~/~\~

Sam and Dean were driving down the road at night when suddenly, the car died. Sam pulled over to the side and got out as another car pulled up behind them. Cole stepped out of his Jeep and approached the Winchesters.

"Hey." Cole greeted. "Need some help?"

"Uh… Yeah. I-I think so." Sam nodded. "It just died on us."

"Out here?" Cole frowned.

"Yeah." Dean scoffed lightly. "Shoulda just taken my car."

"Your ride really has it out for you, huh?" Cole chuckled.

"I guess so." Sam shrugged.

Cole lifted the hood and inspected it. "Ah… These new cars and their computerized brains, huh? One zero out of place, and the whole thing just goes kaput. Well, right there. There's your problem."

"What the hell is that?" Dean frowned.

"Well, that's a kill switch. This here is the remote." Cole held it up in his hand.

Sam jumped to defend himself while Dean went for his gun, frowning when he realized it was missing. While the brothers were distracted, Cole managed to knock them both out.

~/~\~

_Beulah, North Dakota_

Angela was singing karaoke again while drinking heavily.

"Tone deaf!" someone in the crowd yelled. "Awful!"

"Enough!"

"You all suck." Angela slurred drunkenly.

Security came to remove Angela from the stage and Angela easily knocked him out.

~/~\~

Angela woke up in a bed still hammered and Max was there to hand her a glass of water.

"Here." Max held the glass out to her.

"Nah, I'm good." She pushed the glass away.

"Your funeral." Max chuckled lightly.

"Mm." Angela hummed.

"What?" Max asked.

"Let's go somewhere, you and me," Angela suggested groggily.

"We are somewhere," Max replied obviously.

"No. Somewhere else," Angela replied.

"Angie… We barely know each other." Max reminded. "And you're drunk."

"Yeah, but, uh…" Angela trailed off.

"Look… I saw you beat up that guy yesterday. And, yeah, he deserved it. But then you just kept going." Max explained. "I've bartended for a long time, and I've met good people and bad people. I thought you were one of the good ones, but now…"

"Now I'm just a chick who sleeps with any guy she can find." Angela finished. "Hm. Sounds about right."

~/~\~

Cole led a blindfolded Sam and Dean into a barn. He roughly shoved them into two chairs and zip-tied their legs to the chairs. He then whipped the hoods off of Sam and Dean's heads.

"Okay. Home, sweet home." Cole commented. "Breathe. There you go."

"Who are you?" Dean glared.

"That's none of your concern," Cole replied. "But you two, you're Sam and Dean Winchester. I think we can all agree on that. Your wife," he looked at Sam. "Angela Winchester, well… she and I, we go way back."

"You're a hunter?" Sam's brows furrowed.

"Sure." Cole nodded. "Yeah, we can go with that. Hunting your wife counts, right?"

"I wouldn't do that," Sam replied.

"Yeah?" Cole smirked.

"Trust me." Sam pressed. "Look, buddy, w-we don't know who you are, alright? We don't know what you want or what Angela did, but if you got any sense, I suggest you turn tail and run back to that army recruiting ad that spit you out in the first place. She's a monster."

"Well, she was." Cole agreed. "Yeah, she was… Many, many moons ago. But now she's prey. And I'm the monster now."

~/~\~

Angela drove down the dark road and her phone rang beside her. The caller ID said, _'SAM.'_ Angela stared at the phone for a moment before finally answering it.

"I left you an open tab at the bar." She answered. "Knock yourself out."

 _"Well, hell, I just may take you up on that."_ Cole drawled.

"And who is this?" Angela questioned.

 _"Me? Well, I'm karma."_ Cole replied.

"On my husband's phone?" Angela retorted.

 _"On your husband's phone,"_ Cole confirmed.

"Is he dead?" Angela asked.

 _"No. Not yet."_ Cole answered. _"And as long as you show up where I tell you to show up, your husband and his brother will be just fine."_

"And how do I know they're alive?"

 _"Speak,"_ Cole instructed Sam and Dean.

After a few moments of silence, Angela heard various pained sounds.

 _"Proof of life,"_ Cole told her.

 _"Angie!"_ Sam called out.

 _"Got a pen?"_ Cole asked.

"No, you listen to me," Angela said firmly. "There's no trade. There's no meet-up. There's no nothing—except the 100% guarantee that, somewhere down the road, I will find you, and I will kill you."

 _"Well, that'll be a cold comfort to your dead husband and brother-in-law,"_ Cole responded.

"I told them to let me go," Angela replied. "So, whatever jam they're in now, that's their problem."

 _"Yeah, well, I'll be sure to pass that on to them as I'm slitting their throats,"_ Cole replied.

"Yeah, you do that, 'cause they know me." Angela retorted. "And they know damn sure that if I am one thing, I am a woman of my word."


	3. Reichenbach Part 1

_Nyack, New York, June 21_ _st_ _, 2001_

_A young Cole woke up because he could hear sounds of a struggle coming from downstairs. He left his room, following the sounds of fighting. His eyes widened when he saw a body on the ground downstairs. As Cole rushed down the stairs, he slipped on a pool of blood at the bottom._

_"Dad?" his voice cracked. "Dad. Dad?! Daddy."_

_Angela came around the corner clutching a bloody knife and Cole just stared up at her, frozen in fear._

~/~\~

_Present Day_

"And that was the night that Angela Winchester _murdered_ my father," Cole recalled. "And that's… that's why she's gonna die."

"I'm sorry," Sam replied sincerely.

"I'm not looking for your sympathy, Sammy." Cole retorted. "I'm looking for your wife. So, why don't you two tell me where Angie is, and then I'll let you go."

"That's not gonna happen." Dean glared.

"Really?" Cole hummed. "Now, you know she gave me the, uh, green light to put one between your eyes, right?"

"Angie… Angie isn't Angie right now." Sam stressed. "Now, look, we don't know who you are—

"Name's Cole." He interrupted. "Listen, every night… since I was 11-years-old… Every night, I close my eyes and all I can see is Angela and all that blood… and my daddy. Now… I know she's family and all, but she gave you two up. And you have no reason to protect her— _none._ So, help me. Please."

"Look, we're sorry about your dad." Sam apologized. "Whatever happened… Angie had a reason. I don't know how to tell you this. There are monsters out there."

"You don't think I know that?" Cole glowered. "I did two tours in Iraq. Special Ops, Darfur… The Congo. I've seen suicide bombers and child soldiers so hopped up on speed that they could barely talk! Oh, but they could sure as hell shoot an A.K."

"Not that kind of monster, man." Dean sighed, shaking his head.

"Don't tell me about monsters!" Cole yelled. "'Cause I've met my share."

"I mean vampires!" Sam snapped. "Alright? Werewolves. Monster… monsters. Look in the bag." He motioned with his head to their duffels. "Go on. Take a look. It's right there."

Cole pulled a flask of holy water out of the duffel and chuckled. "I guess even psychos need to hydrate."

"It's holy water." Dean corrected.

"Holy cow." Cole rolled his eyes.

"Look, we're not psychos. And we're not lying." Sam stressed.

"Well, you see, that's exactly what a psycho liar would say, so… See my dilemma?" Cole set his own backpack on the table and pulled out a ball peen hammer. "I guess… We are just gonna have to do this the other way."

~/~\~

_Killdeer, North Dakota_

Angela sat in a dimly lit sleazy bar, nursing her glass of whiskey. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a burly looking guy harassing a young woman. Angela stood up and sauntered over to the pair.

"I think she wants you to leave her alone, man," Angela commented.

The burly man turned to look at Angela, clearly annoyed. "I don't think this is any of your business, sweetheart."

"Hm." Angela nodded, a dark smile gracing her lips.

Angela threw a punch, causing the man to stumble backward. The young woman screamed in shock as Angela continued to beat the man up. One of the security guards quickly intervened.

"Hey, hey! Time to go." The security guard hauled Angela off of the man.

~/~\~

Cole swiftly punched Sam in the face and Dean struggled in his chair, trying to break free.

"Where's Angela, Sam? Where is she?" Cole demanded.

"You son of a bitch!" Dean growled.

"Where is she?!" Cole demanded again, this time punching Dean square in the face.

~/~\~

Angela started to beat the security guard until he was unconscious as the burly man scrambled away. Angela kicked the security guard for good measure before finishing her drink.

~/~\~

Cole choked Sam with his right hand and pushed tortuously on his injured shoulder with his left. Sam screamed in agony.

"Shove it up your ass." Sam gasped.

"Okay." Cole released Sam. "Okay. Okay, okay. I guess it's time to crank up the volume, then. Huh?"

Cole pulled the hammer back out and tapped it on Sam's left knee, getting ready to swing. Sam was shaking in pain and Dean thrashed in his chair, frustrated.

"Right there," Cole smirked before his phone started ringing. "Ain't you lucky, boy?"

Cole answered his phone as he started to walk outside.

"Hey, darling." He greeted. "No, I'm good. No, everything's fine. Everything's just fine."

Sam realized when Cole pulled the phone out of his pocket, he pulled his keys out, too. Sam looked to make sure Cole had stepped out of the barn before nodding to Dean.

~/~\~

_Killdeer, North Dakota_

Angela walked out of the bar and ran into a few teenage boys.

"Move, grandma." One of the boys sassed.

"Kids," Crowley said as he appeared behind Angela. "Am I right? In my day, we respected our elders. Of course, back then, anyone over 30 was ancient. Now 40-year-olds are still living with mommy, lying on OkCupid, and taking pictures of their food."

Angela rolled her eyes dramatically. "What do you want, Crowley?"

"A chat." He replied. "We need to talk about your… Anger-management issues."

~/~\~

Sam and Dean were walking down a rural road. Sam had his phone on speaker, waiting for Castiel to answer.

 _"Sam."_ Castiel's voice rang through.

"You need to get to Beulah, North Dakota—now," Sam replied.

 _"I do?"_ Castiel asked, confused.

"Yes." Dean sighed. "Crowley and Angie were there. We got to pick up their trail."

 _"Good. Great."_ Castiel replied.

"Yeah, um… not so much." Sam sighed heavily. "Cas… Angie's a demon."

 _"Angela's a demon? How?"_ Castiel questioned.

"The mark—I-I guess it—it just messed her up. I don't know." Sam stammered.

 _"That is a vast understatement."_ Castiel retorted.

"Right." Dean agreed. "Now, Cas, buddy, listen. We know you're not feeling so hot, but this is kind of an 'all hands on deck' situation here, so…"

 _"So… I'll meet you there."_ He assured.

~/~\~

_Killdeer, North Dakota_

Angela and Crowley were sitting at the bar. Angela motioned to the bartender to get his attention.

"Two shots here. He'll have something fancy, with your _tiniest_ umbrella." She ordered.

"So… How have you been feeling? On edge? Pent-up? Unfulfilled?" Crowley asked curiously.

"You sound like a Viagra commercial. You know that, right?" Angela quirked a brow.

Crowley rolled his eyes and scoffed. "I'm talking about the mark. It changed you."

Angela's eyes flashed black and she smirked. "I've noticed."

"And I know that you want to keep the party going," Crowley replied. "You want to have fun, fun, fun, till daddy takes the black eyes away. The fact is… you need to kill now. Not want to, not choose to— _need_ to."

"There you go." The bartender set their drinks down.

"Danke," Crowley replied before turning his attention back to Angela. "Face it, darling. You're an addict. Death is your drug. And you're gonna spend the rest of your life chasing that dragon."

"So?" Angela shrugged.

"So… I'm here to facilitate." Crowley offered.

"You want me to kill for you." She corrected.

"I want you to kill for us," Crowley replied. "Look… you're going to snap eventually. The anger, the bloodlust is gonna build up in you until you can't take it anymore, and then… So, the question is, do you want to spike a civilian or someone who has it coming?"

"Like who?" Angela raised her brows.

"Like… Mindy Morris. Caring mother… Loving wife… Cheating trollop." Crowley explained. "After her husband, Lester, discovered Mindy's liaison amoureuse, heated words were exchanged. In the end, Mindy wanted a divorce… and 50% of everything. But Lester—

"Lester would rather give up his soul than half his junk." Angela finished.

"We live in a very materialistic world." Crowley shrugged. "Mindy's gonna die one way or another. Why not take the job—feed the beast?"

"Fine." Angela conceded. "One-time deal."

"Oh, there's something else that I need to share with you," Crowley added.

~/~\~

Angela was at Lester's house watching Mindy through the window. Just as she was about to make her move, Angela was distracted by headlights turning in. Angela sauntered over to the car and opened the passenger door, getting in.

"Hey! Hey!" Lester exclaimed.

"Let me guess—Lester?" Angela tilted her head.

Lester's brows furrowed. "I… Who are you?"

"Who do you think?" Angela's eyes flashed black.

"Whoa. Ohh!" Lester gasped.

"Ohh." Angela mocked. "What the hell are you doing here, man?"

"Well, my contact… Yeah, he, uh—he told me that, uh, this was happening," he explained. "So I just wanted to come down and make sure it gets done right."

"Ah. 'Cause, you're the expert, huh?" Angela sassed. "Listen—and this is murder 101—when you hire someone to kill your wife, you don't want to be around when the hit goes down. It's called an alibi."

"Yeah, I know what an alibi is." Lester scoffed indignantly. "I watch _'Franklin & Bash.'"_

"Super. Listen, you sold your soul for this crap, so—

"It's _not_ crap." Lester snapped. "It's my life. And she flushed it down the toilet."

"Les… I'm gonna say something to you," Angela started. "I need you to _really_ listen to me. You're a loser. Your lady in there—she's a North Dakota 8. You're a 4.5, max. Now, I don't blame her for stepping out—especially if she found you were messing around first."

"No." he denied quickly. "Oh, no. I-I wasn't… Uh—How do you know?"

"Well, you just got that, uh, pervy, 'I'd do anything to nail my secretary' look," Angela replied.

"Oh. No." Lester shook his head. "T-that—it's different when guys do it."

"Really?" Angela raised her brows.

"Yeah." He replied obviously. "It's called 'science.'"

"Oh." Angela hummed.

"Men aren't built for monogamy… because of evolution." Lester shrugged. "We're—we're—we're programmed, you know, to—to spread our seed."

Angela just rolled her eyes and punched Lester square in the face.

"Ohh! Ow!" Lester cried in pain.

"Like I said—loser, with a capital 'L,' rhymes with 'you suck.'" Angela scoffed.

"Yeah, well, you're a punk-ass demon!" Lester retorted. "And you work for me now. So, get in there and do your job, you freak!"

Angela fixed an icy glare at Lester. "And what are you gonna do? You gonna watch, huh? Is that what you like to do, Lester? Watch?" she whispered dangerously. "Well, watch this."

Angela pulled out the First Blade and plunged it into Lester's chest, killing him instantly.

~/~\~

Sam and Dean were showing Angela's picture to the security guard who Angela beat up. The guy had a black eye and had an arm in a sling.

"Hmm. That's her. Tiny thing, but she packed a punch." The guard nodded. "I called 911, but she was gone before they showed up. She get to you, too?"

Sam glanced at his own sling. "Oh, uh, no. This is, uh, just a… hunting accident."

"Damn." The guard muttered.

"Would you do us a favor?" Dean asked. "If you do see her again, will you give us a call?"

"Yeah. You bet."

"Thanks," Dean replied.

Sam and Dean got into the stolen truck and peeled out of the parking lot. Cole was watching them from his jeep and pulled out to follow them


	4. Reichenbach Part 2

_Killdeer, North Dakota_

Crowley was listening to a boring progress report from a stunt demon and looked immensely bored.

"At the end of the day, we have to strategically calibrate expectations." The stunt demon explained. "And do, by making these 64 small changes… I believe we can increase our demon-conversion rate by 0.03-percent."

Suddenly, a phone started ringing and another demon picked it up.

"Uh, sir?" she asked. "Sir?"

"Kill me," Crowley muttered.

"Uh… It's Sam Winchester, sir." She replied. "They're close."

Crowley perked up once Angela walked in.

"Angela!" he exclaimed. "How did it go?"

"Fine." Angela nodded. "Fine. Uh… He's dead, and you're right—I-I feel amazing."

Crowley frowned deeply. "He?"

"Uh, Lester." Angela shrugged.

"The _client?_ You _killed_ the _client?"_ Crowley asked incredulously.

"Does it matter?" she scoffed. "He was a douche. Now he's a _dead_ douche."

"Of course it matters!" Crowley exclaimed. "The deal was one dead wife for one soul. The wife's not dead, I don't get the soul. It's math."

"Well… There you go." Angela turned to leave.

"Hey!" he snapped. "Don't turn your back on me!"

Angela turned around with cold eyes and with one shove, she sent Crowley sprawling across the floor. Angela chuckled coldly and one of the stunt demons stifled a laugh.

"Is something funny?" Crowley demanded.

"No, sir." The demon cleared her throat.

"Good." Crowley stood up, dusting himself off. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Oh, _whatever I want,_ " Angela replied obviously.

"Really?" Crowley narrowed his eyes. "Because I think you don't know what you want. Tell me, Angela—what are you? A demon? If so, why isn't Lester's wife dead? Did you feel sorry for her? So, maybe you're human. Except you have those pretty black peepers and you're working alongside me. Why don't you do us all a great big favor and PICK A BLOODY SIDE?!"

"Or what? Hmm?" Angela challenged. "Go ahead. Make a move." She taunted. "See how it ends. I ain't your damn bestie, and I ain't taking orders from you. When I need to kill, I'll call. Until then, stay out of my way."

"Fine." Crowley pursed his lips. "It's over. What can I say? Crazy ones—well, they're good for a fling, but they're not relationship material."

"Are you done?" Angela sighed impatiently.

"We're done." Crowley corrected. "You know what, Angela? It's not me. It's you."

~/~\~

Sam and Dean were leaving a hotel when someone called to them.

"Hello, Bullwinkle, Squirrel." Crowley's voice rang out. "You miss me?"

"So much," Sam replied sarcastically.

"You're here for Angela. I'm here to give her to you." Crowley offered.

"What?" Dean asked.

"The little prat's bad for business." Crowley sighed. "She's… uncontrollable. Must be the mark. Anyway, Angela's your problem now—again, forever."

"Then where is she?" Sam asked desperately.

"First, there's the small matter of my finder's fee," Crowley replied.

~/~\~

Angela sat at a piano in the bar. She played a few notes, but clearly, her mind was elsewhere. She took out the First Blade and sliced open her left palm, and it instantly healed. Out of the corner of her eye, Angela noticed Sam and Dean walk in.

"Hiya, Sam. Dean." Angela greeted.

~/~\~

"Hey, Harv, why don't you go grab a smoke?" Angela winked.

Harv paused for a moment before walking out of the bar. Angela gave her full attention to Sam and Dean.

"Who winged you?" she asked Sam.

"Does it matter?" Sam retorted.

"Not really." Angela shrugged. "I told you two to let me go."

"You know we can't do that, kiddo," Dean replied. "By the way, your, uh, pal Crowley… Sold you out."

"Sounds like him." Angela nodded as she stood up and poured herself a drink.

"Angie, hold on a second," Sam took a step forward. "You don't have to do this. Look, we know how to cure demons. You remember that?"

"Little Latin, a lot of blood," Angela recalled. "It rings a bell. Did you ever stop to think that if I _wanted_ to be cured, I wouldn't have bailed?"

"That was Crowley," Sam argued.

Angela smiled darkly at her husband. "It really wasn't."

"It doesn't matter, alright?" Dean replied. "'Cause whatever went down, whatever happened, we will _fix it,_ kid."

"Will we? 'Cause right now," Angela smirked. "I'm doing all I can to not come over there and rip your throats out… _with my teeth._ I'm giving you boys a chance. You should take it."

"We're gonna have to pass," Sam replied firmly.

"Well, I'm not walking out that door with you." Angela shrugged. "I'm just _not._ So, what are you gonna do? Are you gonna kill me, Sammy?"

"No." Sam shook his head.

"Why?" Angela raised her brows. "You don't know what I've done. I might have it coming."

"Well, I don't care," Sam stressed. "Because you're my wife and I love you. And we're here to take you home, baby."

"Hmm." Angela sipped her drink. "Ah! 'You're my wife and I love you. And we're here to take you home.'" She mocked through her laughter. "Yeah, what is this, a Lifetime movie? Huh? With your puppy-dog-eyes?" she continued laughing. "Oh, thanks, Sammy. I needed that."

Dean fished the sigil etched handcuffs from his pocket. Angela tilted her head and pursed her lips.

"You really think those are gonna work, Dean-o?"

"There's one way to find out." He shrugged.

Just then, tear gas came flying in the window, and the brothers dissolved in a fit of coughing. They stumbled outside where Cole was waiting to knock them unconscious. Angela appeared behind Cole.

"Wow. It's _really_ you." Cole pulled his gun on Angela.

"We met?" Angela questioned.

"Talked on the phone." Cole clarified.

"Right. Right." Angela recalled. "You're the guy who's supposed to put a bullet in Sammy and Dean's brains. Did you miss?"

"Well, I had a better idea," Cole smirked. "I figure if I let them escape, they'd go running to you, and all I had to do was just tag along. And now here we are, finally—Angela Winchester."

"Great. A groupie." Angela rolled her eyes.

"You remember me?" Cole asked.

"Yeah, yeah. You're that guy from that thing." Angela scoffed.

"Nyack, New York, June 21, 2001," Cole replied.

"That supposed to ring a bell?" Angela sighed impatiently.

"It was the night you gutted and murdered a man by the name of Edward Trenton," Cole explained. "He was my father."

"Okay." Angela shrugged.

"Okay?" Cole frowned.

"Well, hey, I'm not saying I _didn't_ slice and dice your old man," Angela replied. "I'm just saying he wasn't the first, and he _certainly_ wasn't the last, and they all just kind of get blended up."

"I saw you… That night… After. You let me live." Cole glared. "That was dumb—real dumb. I spent half my life training for this moment. I've played out this fight a thousand times in my mind. And I know all about you, Angie. And you're good. Oh, you're real good. But, you see, I'm better."

"Prove it." Angela challenged with a smirk. "Take a shot."

"Now, that's not payback." Cole holstered his gun and drew his knife. "This is payback."

Cole leaped to attack Angela who fended off his attack easily. Cole attacked her again and Angela easily pulled the gun from the holster and dropped the clip from it and emptied the chamber.

"You know…" she started. "And I'm just spitballing here, but, uh, maybe… you're not as good as you think you are." She chuckled as Cole got into a Kung Fu position. "Oh! You know Kung Fu?"

"I know everything." Cole glared.

"Well, come on." Angela beckoned.

Cole attacked Angela in a fury and she again easily threw him to the ground.

"What did you think was gonna happen, huh?" Angela taunted. "You just stroll up here and say, 'my name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die,' and I'd just roll over? Well, that just—it makes me sad."

Angela leaned mockingly over Cole but didn't see him pulled another knife. Cole slashed Angela's face, causing her to growl in pain. She quickly got Cole into a throat grip against a car as the cut on her face healed instantly.

"You have no idea what you walked into here, do you?" Angela smirked darkly. "None."

Cole's eyes widened in fear. "What are you?"

"I'm a demon." Angela's smirk grew as she pulled out the First Blade and held it to Cole's throat.

"Do it!" Cole roared. "You said if you saw me, you would kill me, so do it!"

"I guess I changed my mind." Angela retorted.

She released Cole and stepped back. But at that instant, Sam threw holy water on his wife and she started to burn. Dean rushed in and snapped on the sigil etched handcuffs.

"Stop!" Sam pleaded. "It's over! It's over, baby."

Angela glared daggers at Sam and Dean but was completely helpless.

~/~\~

Outside the bar, Angela was handcuffed to the backseat of her car and Sam, Dean, and Crowley stood nearby. Sam had the First Blade in his hand.

"A pleasure doing business." Crowley smiled.

"What are you gonna do with it?" Dean questioned.

"Toss it into a volcano, leave it on the Moon." Crowley shrugged. "I'll get creative. Believe me, I don't want Angela getting her hands on the precious any more than you do. Angela knows I ratted. She tends to hold a grudge. I don't want to get… Boned."

"This doesn't make us square." Sam handed over the blade. "If we see you again—

"Oh, stop it, Samantha." Crowley interrupted. "No one likes a tease."

Crowley disappeared and the brothers stood in silence. Sam cleared his throat and looked at Dean.

"Could you, uh, pick up Gracie from Jody's while I take Angie back to the bunker?" Sam asked.

"Are you sure, Sammy?" Dean frowned in concern. "I mean, I can take her back to the bunker…"

"No." Sam shook his head. "I have to take Angie back. I got this, Dean."

Dean nodded and glanced at Angela before walking off to the stolen truck they took.

~/~\~

Sam was driving down the dark road and Angela was dangerously quiet in the back.

"You know…" Sam broke the silence. "Your daughter misses you."

"Hm." Angela nodded, showing no emotion. "And?"

"Wow." Sam scoffed. "You really _have_ gone dark."

"You have no idea," Angela smirked evilly.

"You know what, Angie?" Sam asked. "I saw what happened back there. You could have killed that guy, and you didn't. You took mercy on him."

"You call that mercy?" Angela laughed darkly. "Imagine you spend your _whole life_ hunting down the person that knifed your father. When you _finally_ find her… She whips you like a dog. How do you think that feels? That kid's gonna spend his whole life knowing that he had his shot and that he couldn't beat me." She explained. "That isn't mercy. That's the worst thing I could have done to him. And what I'm gonna do to you, Sammy… Well, that isn't gonna be mercy, either."


	5. Soul Survivor Part 1

"Hunc sanguinem sacro, et donantibus, debita demitto." The priest chanted. "Dolorem remitteat et voluntati de serviat."

The priest put the crucifix to his lips, then nodded to Sam, who was wearing a white lab coat.

"Doctor." The priest said.

"Father." Sam nodded as the priest walked out.

Sam walked over and picked up a cooler, then filled it with donated blood.

~/~\~

_Lebanon, Kansas_

Sam arrived back at the bunker just after Dean did with Grace. Sam went down to the dungeon, where Angela was strapped to a chair in the middle of a devil's trap on the floor while Dean brought Grace to her nursery.

"Really?" Angela quirked a brow.

"For whatever it's worth, I got your blood type." Sam sassed.

"Sam, I know you think you and Dean are gonna try and fix me, but…" Angela sighed. "Did it ever occur to you boys that maybe I don't _want_ to be fixed? Just let me go live my life. I won't bother you. What do you care?"

"What do I care?" Sam repeated as he grabbed the holy water and splashed it on the floor.

"You think I'm just gonna sit here like Crowley?" Angela scoffed. "Getting all weepy while you shoot me up? Well, screw that. I don't want this!"

"Yeah, I pretty much figured that out," Sam replied.

"You don't even know if this is gonna work, do you?" she taunted. "You know, I got a hell of a lot more running through me than just demon juice."

"Mark of Cain, got it," Sam replied flatly.

"That's right," Angela smirked devilishly.

Sam had a syringe of blood in his hand as he walked closer to Angela. "Buckle up."

"Sammy…" Angela drawled. "You know I hate shots."

"I hate demons." Sam retorted.

Angela chuckled at that, catching Sam's attention.

"What's so funny?" he narrowed his eyes.

"You don't like demons?" Angela repeated with a smirk. "If I'm remembering correctly, that, uh, wasn't the case a few years ago. In fact, at that point, you chose a demon over me. Come on, Sammy. You and I could get up to all sorts of no good."

Sam clenched his jaw tightly and splashed Angela with holy water as her eyes flashed black. Angela yelled in agony as her skin sizzled, and Sam plunged the needle into her arm. Angela groaned as Sam emptied the syringe into her arm.

"Look, we got a whole bunch more of these to go," Sam muttered. "You could make it a lot easier on yourself."

Angela's eyes widened as she grunted and groaned, the blood already taking some effect.

~/~\~

Dean slid another needle into Angela's arm while Sam stood nearby, a concerned look on his face. Angela groaned in pain.

"For all you know, you two could be _killing_ me." Angela glared up at Dean.

"Or… You're just messing with us." Dean argued. "Either way, the lore doesn't say anything about exceptions to the cure."

Angela chuckled. "The lore. Hunters. Men of Letters. What a load of _crap_ it all is!"

Angela looked between the brothers, earning no response from either of them.

"Oh, you got nothing?" she taunted.

"You want us to debate you?" Sam shrugged. "This isn't even the real you we're talking to."

"Oh, it's the real me, alright," Angela replied darkly. "The new real me—the me that sees things for what they really are. Winchesters. Do-gooders. Fighting the natural order." She drawled. "Let me tell you something—things like me, we are the natural order. It's the way it was set up."

"Guys like us still gotta do what we can," Dean argued.

"Don't be so full of yourself, Dean." Angela chastised. "'Cause, see, from where I'm sitting… There ain't much difference from what I turned into to what you two already are."

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" Sam frowned.

"I know what you boys did when you went looking for me." Angela's lips twitched into a smirk. "I know how far you went. Crowley told me all about it. So, let me ask you… which of us is _really_ a monster? Hmm? Starting to come back to you now?"

~/~\~

_Lester sat at the bar, clearly drunk._

_"What am I supposed to do now?" he asked himself. "It's like my life is over. Thank you." He added as the bartender gave him another drink. "Bitch. I should've seen it coming. Why doesn't anything ever work out for me? Huh?"_

_"Hey there." Sam greeted as he and Dean sat near Lester._

_"Hi," Lester replied glumly._

_"Sounds like things have been a little rough on you lately, huh?" Dean asked._

_"Rough?" Lester scoffed. "My wife kicked me to the curb."_

_"Oh." Sam pursed his lips._

_"We haven't had sex for four months. Four." Lester admitted drunkenly. "Well, not that—not that she hasn't been having plenty… with a guy in her bowling league. Guy with tattoos. Did him right there on the kitchen table while I was at work."_

_"Man, that's uh… That's cold." Dean muttered._

_"Now all I think of is revenge," Lester replied. "Payback. But that's not gonna happen."_

_Sam hesitated for a moment. "I wouldn't be so sure about that. It is possible that you can have your revenge. I mean, hell, it's possible you can have pretty much anything you want."_

~/~\~

"You were trying to get a twenty on Crowley and me from any demon you could snag." Angela recapped. "But Crowley didn't want to be found, and no one showed when you boys summoned. But you found a way, didn't you?"

~/~\~

_Sam and Dean buried a box, covering it with dirt. Sam glanced around and motioned to Lester._

_"Alright," Sam started. "Stand right here. When I say so, read the words off the paper."_

_"A—are you sure about this?" Lester stammered._

_"Yeah, trust us," Dean replied as he and Sam crouched down behind some bushes._

_"Alright. Go ahead." Sam told Lester._

_"Okay, um… Demon esto subiectus voluntary—_

_"Tat! Voluntati!" Sam corrected._

_"Oh. Voluntati." Lester muttered._

_"Who summons me, and for what purpose?" the crossroads demon asked as she appeared._

_Sam and Dean stood up as Lester walked toward the demon._

_"Kill my wife…" Lester started._

_"Lester!" Sam and Dean yelled._

_"And my soul is yours." Lester finished._

_"Don't!" Sam yelled._

_"Done." The demon replied quickly._

_"No!" Dean exclaimed._

_The demon kissed Lester, sealing the deal immediately._

~/~\~

"You would have liked to have gotten there before the deal went down, but you didn't really care about poor ol' Lester, did you?" Angela asked the brothers.

~/~\~

_Sam and Dean had the demon strung up from a tree._

_"Why don't we try that again?" Dean glared._

_"Nobody knows where Crowley and Angela are." The demon replied. "They're off the radar!"_

_Dean pulled out a knife, then cut into the demon's chest, causing her to scream in pain._

_"Kill me if you want to!" she growled. "That's all I know. I got nothing for you. And you made that poor son of a bitch sell his soul."_

~/~\~

"Oh, and so you two know, I killed Lester myself." Angela shrugged. "And that wife of his married the tattooed guy."

Sam slammed his hand down on the table. "We never meant—

"Who cares what you meant?!" Angela roared. "That line that we thought was so clear between us and the things we hunted, ain't so clear is it? Wow." She scoffed. "You two might _actually_ be worse than me! I mean, you took a guy at his lowest, used him, and it cost him his life and his soul. Nice work."

Sam plunged the next needle into Angela's neck, and she screamed in pain. Sam tossed the syringe onto the table, leaning over it, pain and regret on his face. Dean looked at the floor guiltily.

"Let me ask you guys this," Angela breathed out. "If this doesn't work, we all know what you got to do to me, right? You got the stomach for that?!"

~/~\~

Sam and Dean were outside of the dungeon, waiting for Castiel to answer the phone.

 _"Sam?"_ Castiel's voice rang through.

"Cas." Sam sighed in relief. "Hey, are you still coming?"

 _"I'm a few hours away,"_ Castiel replied. _"Is the treatment working?"_

"No, not very well." Dean sighed heavily.

"It—it's not like it was with Crowley," Sam added. "Angie is in pain. I mean, she's in bad pain. It's like she's barely holding on. Cas… we might be killing her."

 _"It might be,"_ Castiel replied bluntly.

"So… what? Should we stop?" Dean's brows furrowed.

 _"And do what?"_ Castiel retorted. _"She's not possessed. Exorcism is out of the question. The ritual of purified blood is the only treatment I know."_

"Cas, did you not hear what we just said?" Sam frowned deeply. "We could be _killing_ my wife."

 _"Sam, she's not your wife,"_ Castiel argued. _"At least not now. You have to be prepared for—_

"Killing her." Sam clenched his jaw.

 _"I'll be there as soon as I can,"_ Castiel assured.

"Yeah, alright." Sam sighed. "We'll, uh… We'll leave the entry unlocked for you. Just… hurry."

Sam hung up the phone, and the brothers turned around to see Angela exactly where they left her, but completely still. Sam and Dean rushed over to Angela and Sam slapped her cheek.

"Hey! Hey! Angie!" Sam yelled. "Come on! Come back."

"No," Angela whispered.

"Come back to us, kid." Dean pleaded. "You there? Hey! Angie, you okay?"

"Yeah, if you… consider drowning in your own sweat while your blood boils 'okay.'" Angela coughed weakly.

"Look, we can't stop doing this," Sam stressed.

"Sure you can." Angela glared. "You just _stop!_ There's no point in trying to bring your wife back now."

"Oh, I will bring her back," Sam promised.

"In fact," Angela continued. "Your, uh… guilt-ridden, weight-of-the-world wife has been M.I.A. for quite some time now. But I'm _loving_ the new model."

"Right." Sam scoffed.

"You notice I tried to get as far away from you two as possible?" Angela tilted her head. "Away from the whining, the complaining. I chose the King of Hell over you two! Maybe I was just… tired of cleaning up your messes."

"This isn't you talking, kid." Dean clenched his jaw.

"I was just your excuse for not manning up." Angela sneered. "But guess what: I quit."

"No," Sam replied firmly. "No, you don't. You don't get to quit. We don't get to quit in this family! This family is all we have ever had!"

"Well, then, we got nothin'." Angela shrugged as Sam prepared the next syringe. "Oh. Ooh. Is this you manning up, Sammy?"

"This is me, cleaning up your mess," Sam replied as he jabbed the needle into her arm. "You're welcome."

Sam and Dean walked out of the room, leaving Angela gasping in pain behind them.


	6. Soul Survivor Part 2

_Lebanon, Kansas_

Sam walked into the room he shared with Angela and looked around. He grabbed Angela's photo album and flipped through it. There were pictures from when she was younger, pictures Sam had taken, and a picture from their wedding day that Dean had snapped. Sam stared at the photos with tears in his eyes.

~/~\~

Sam and Dean walked back to the dungeon to find the chair Angela had been sitting in empty.

"Son of a bitch," Dean muttered. "Go find Angie, I'll make sure Gracie's okay."

~/~\~

Sam had his back to the wall, a knife in his hand. He heard a nearby door open as he made his way down the hall. Angela was walking through the bunker, opening doors, seemingly looking for Sam and Dean. Sam opened a drawer and grabbed a set of keys while Angela went to the kitchen and grabbed a hammer.

"Come on, boys!" Angela called out. "It's been a while since we spent some quality time together!"

~/~\~

Sam used the keys to unlock the door to the control room. Angela sauntered down the hall, searching for the brothers. Dean came into the control room, clutching Grace in his arms as Sam flipped a switch, causing the lights to suddenly shut off. Red lights flashed as an alarm began to sound.

"Smart! Locking the place down." Angela smirked. "Doors won't open. I get it. But here's the thing: I don't want to leave! Not 'til I find you!"

Angela heard a clatter in the distance and smirked as she sauntered down the hall.

"Sammy! Dean!" she sang. "You're just making this worse for yourselves! Oh, by the way, you can, uh… blame yourselves for me getting loose. All that blood you pumped into me to make me human… Well. The less demon I was, the less the cuffs worked. And that devil's trap? Well, I just walked right across it. It smarted, but still."

Angela opened the drawer, growling when she noticed the keys were missing. She walked into the now empty control room and flipped the power back on.

"Yeah, that's more like it." Angela grinned devilishly.

Sam rushed over and pulled the door shut, locking it, therefore locking Angela inside. Sam threw the keys on the ground, standing at the door with the knife in his hand. Grace wailed from Dean's arms.

"That's your big move?" Angela laughed.

"Listen to me, Angie!" Sam pleaded. "We were getting close, okay? I know you're still in there somewhere. Just let us finish the treatments." He added, earning no response. "Angie?"

The brothers jumped back as the door began to splinter. They watched as the door began to break, from the hammer Angela was wielding.

"You act like I want to be cured!" Angela exclaimed as she continued to beat down the door. "Personally, I like the disease."

"Angie, stop that!" Sam begged. "Look, I don't want to use this blade on you!"

"That sucks for you, doesn't it?" she taunted. "'Cause you really mean that!"

"Look, if you come out of that room, we won't have a choice!" Dean warned.

"Sure you will!" Angela retorted. "And I know which one you'll make. But see… Here's the thing, boys: I'm lucky. Oh, _hell,_ I'm blessed! 'Cause there's just enough demon left in me that killing you? Ain't no choice at all."

As Angela broke down the door, Sam and Dean went running down the hall. Angela ran a hand through her hair as she sauntered after the brothers.

"Sammy? Dean?" she practically sang. "Come on, boys! Let's have a beer, talk about it. I'm tired of playing. Let's finish this game!"

Sam and Dean were breathing hard, backs up against the wall. Grace whimpered in Dean's arms. Sam and Dean chanced a look down the hall, but found it empty. The brothers turned back around, ducking just in time, as Angela swung the hammer at their heads, instead lodging it into the wall. Sam reacted on instinct, pushing the demon knife against Angela's throat. Angela smirked darkly.

"Well… Look at you." She mocked. "Do it. It's all you."

Sam let the knife fall, and Angela grinned as her eyes went black. She took a step toward the brother when a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her middle.

"It's over," Castiel said firmly as his eyes began to glow blue. "Angela, it's over."

Angela began to yell, and Castiel just held her.

"It's over." He repeated.

~/~\~

Angela was once again strapped to the chair, and Sam pulled a needle from her arm. Angela was slumped over, head hanging.

"What the hell are we doing to her, Cas?" Dean sighed heavily. "I mean, even after we gave her all that blood, she still said he didn't want to be cured, that she didn't want to be human."

"Well… I see her point." Castiel admitted. "You know, only humans can feel real joy, but… also such profound pain. This is easier."

Angela started to wake up groggily and her eyes were black. The black dissipated, and Sam unscrewed the flask in his hand. Angela looked to Sam, Dean, and Castiel, groaning and letting out a breath. She looked around, uncertain, while the three men watched her carefully.

"You look worried, boys," Angela commented.

Sam splashed the holy water on Angela's face, and she looked up at him when nothing happened. Sam and Dean smiled relieved smiles. Sam walked over and leaned down, kissing his wife deeply.

"Welcome back, baby." He breathed.

~/~\~

Castiel was looking at the book of _Demonic Possession._ He picked up the _Practitioners Guide to Exorcism_ and flipped through it. He set the book down when Sam and Dean walked in.

"Hey." Sam and Dean greeted.

"How's she doing?" Castiel asked worriedly.

"She's, uh… She's still a little out of it, but better, I think." Sam explained. "I mean, I think this whole thing—the blood cure, and the… all of it—really wrecked her, you know?"

"Yeah." Castiel agreed.

"On the plus side, she's hungry again, so we're gonna go pick her up a few of her favorite snacks and I'll stuff it in her face myself." Sam chuckled. "Do you mind staying here, keep an eye on Angie and Grace?"

"Yeah," Castiel replied. "Sam, Dean?"

"Yeah?" he paused.

"You realize one problem is solved, but one still remains," Castiel noted. "Angela is no longer a demon, that's true. But the Mark of Cain… that, she still has. And sooner or later, that's going to be an issue."

"You know what, Cas?" Sam sighed, exhausted. "I'm beat, man. One battle at a time, you know? So, I'm just gonna go grab my wife some food. And then, I'm gonna get drunk."

~/~\~

In her room she shared with Sam, Angela held Grace, happy to be with her daughter again.

"I love you so much, sweet girl," Angela whispered. "And I know you won't remember what's happened today, but... I am so sorry, Gracie."

Suddenly, a knock sounded at the door.

"Yeah." Angela greeted.

Castiel opened the door and frowned. "You look terrible."

Angela laughed slightly. "You know, it wouldn't kill you to lie every now and again."

"No, it wouldn't kill me." He agreed. "I just… You…"

"Forget it." Angela walked over to Castiel. "Well, you, on the other hand, you… Looking good. So… Are you back?"

"At least temporarily. It's a long story. Crowley, stolen grace. There's a female outside in the car." Castiel explained.

Angela just stared at the angel, and Castiel shook his head.

"Another time."

"Well, thank you, for, um… Stepping in when you did." Angela changed the topic. "What did Dean say? What did Sam say? Does he want a divorce?"

"I'm sure they know that whatever you said or whatever you did, it wasn't really you. It certainly wasn't all you." Castiel assured.

"I tried to kill them, Cas. I could have hurt my daughter." Angel argued.

"Angela," Castiel sighed. "You three have been through so much. Look, you're family. It'd take a lot more than trying to kill Sam and Dean with a hammer to make them want to walk away."

Angela tilted her head. "You realize how screwed up our lives are that, that even makes sense?"

Castiel chuckled at that, and Angela smiled softly.

"I'm glad you're here, Cas." She said sincerely.

Castiel started to leave but turned back. "Hey, maybe you should, um… take some time before you get back to work. Allow yourself to heal. It's, uh… I don't know. The timing might be right. Heaven and Hell—they seem reasonably back in order. It's quiet out there."

Angela nodded. "Thank you."


	7. Paper Moon Part 1

Sam, Dean, and Angela sat nearby a lake. Jody was babysitting Grace and the three hunters were currently relaxing.

"Hey, baby, there's something I need to ask you." Angela broke the silence.

"Shoot," Sam replied.

"You've been… Kicked, bit, scratched, stabbed, possessed, killed… And you sprain your elbow?" Angela asked, slightly amused.

"Babe, it was more than a sprain. All right?" Sam rolled his eyes. "And it was a friggin' demon, but…"

"What? That sling come with a slice of… crybaby pie on the side?" Dean joined in on the teasing.

Sam smiled despite himself.

"Please, baby," Angela smirked.

The three hunters laughed and sat companionably for a moment. Sam and Dean turned to study Angela.

"How're you doing, kiddo?" Dean asked concernedly.

"I'm great." Angela shrugged.

"Come on, Angie." Sam gave her his puppy dog look.

"Seriously, I'm good. I am." She assured. "You know, we got… Three more cases of this stuff on ice in the trunk." She nodded to the cooler. "Taking some 'we time.' Best decision we ever made. I mean, I miss Gracie, of course."

"Cheers to that." Dean nodded.

"Yeah, I hear that." Sam agreed.

The three hunters each took a swig of their beers and sat back. A moment passed before Angela broke the silence.

"See that thing in the paper this morning?"

"Maybe it was an animal kill." Sam shrugged.

"It was _three_ kills." Angela corrected. "And it was in the same town, all within the last month."

"Yeah, you're right." Sam sighed. "We should call some guys, have 'em fix it."

"Good. Smart." Angela nodded.

"Done." Sam pursed his lips.

"Or…" Angela started after a moment. "We could be in and out. It's a milk run."

"Right, because that happens… never." Dean snorted.

"Look," Angela started earnestly. "Guys, what we're doing here, it's good, okay? But I _need_ to work… I need this. Please?"

Sam looked at his wife in concern. "If things go sideways… I mean, like, _an inch_ , you gotta give us the heads-up."

"Done." Angela let out a relieved sighed. "You got my word, baby."

Angela stood up and hurriedly grabbed her chair, eagerly moving off toward the Impala, leaving the brothers still sitting. Sam and Dean shared a concerned look before eventually following Angela's lead.

~/~\~

_Durham, Washington_

Sam, Dean, and Angela were at the sheriff's station dressed as game wardens. Dean handed over his ID, while Sam and Angela just flashed theirs. The sheriff looked at them in relief.

"Well, I'm not gonna lie. We're damn glad to see you." The sheriff noted as he handed Dean's idea back. "You guys must come up on stuff like this all the time."

"Oh, yeah." Sam and Dean replied.

"Yeah, definitely." Angela nodded.

"Hell, seen raccoons in rec rooms and bears in swimming pools. But this?" the sheriff pursed his lips. "You tell me."

"Yeah." Dean nodded.

The sheriff paused, looking at the three hunters in expectation of a good store.

"Oh." Dean cleared his throat. "Well, uh… Where do we start? What with, uh… Logging."

"Ice caps," Sam added.

"Bitcoin. Yeah." Dean nodded.

The sheriff looked on in skepticism and Dean started to get flustered.

"Obama." Dean shrugged.

Sam and Angela watched the exchange in disbelief.

"You know what?" Angela cut in. "Maybe—maybe, uh, you could walk us through the attacks. Any similarities, anything weird."

"Only thing weird about them was how similar they were." The sheriff replied. "Folks torn clean through. Hearts… absent."

Dean's brows furrowed. "Hearts absent as in—

"Consume, most likely." The sheriff pursed his lips.

"And there were no witnesses?" Angela asked curiously.

"Well, the town square attack, the parking lot… Those were real late." The sheriff explained. "But the bar? Hell, with how jammed the place was, you'd think somebody other than Tommy would've seen something."

"And what did he see?" Angela jumped on that piece of information.

"Honestly, not much." The sheriff admitted. "Now, Tommy ain't exactly what we call a reliable witness. And he's telling anybody who'll listen he saw some girl go out back with Barker, and she was torn up, too."

"So, there was a second victim?" Dean raised his brows.

"Well, sure… Except Tommy's a drunk." The sheriff scoffed. "There's no body, no D.N.A, no blood trail, no nothing to suggest that."

At that moment, a deputy approached, handing the sheriff some paperwork.

"Give me one sec," the sheriff told the hunters.

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"Hearts missing," Dean muttered. "Sounds wolfy to me, right?"

"Yeah." Sam agreed. "Pretty brazen, even for a werewolf."

"You think it was the girl?" Angela asked.

Sam shrugged. "Let's find out."

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were seated at a table with Tommy. A large mug of beer sat on the table in front of him.

"Yeah, Barker and I have been raising hell, chasing tail, and riding for a long time," Tommy explained. "Part of him always knew when his clock ran out, it wasn't gonna be pretty. To go out like that? By some animal? Just ain't right."

"You mind, uh, you mind telling us what went down?" Dean questioned.

"It was just another party, you know?" Tommy replied. "Barker went out back. The next thing you know, everyone's yelling and screaming, and he's all torn up."

"Now, the sheriff mentioned you thought there might've been a girl involved," Sam noted. "You think she was killed, too?"

"No." Tommy shook his head as he reached for his beer.

"So, there was no girl?" Angela quirked a brow.

"Couldn't say." Tommy shook his head, looking at Angela nervously.

Sam looked at Tommy, putting on his earnest, puppy dog eyes. "You know we're not cops, right?"

"Badge is a badge," Tommy argued.

"Well, you should also know that working outdoors the way we do, we see some—some pretty _weird_ crap," Angela replied gently. "Stuff that we can't explain. I mean, hell, half the stuff, we wouldn't have believed it ourselves had we not seen it together."

"Well, you don't have to live in this town." Tommy shook his head. "You don't have to deal with the ridicule."

"We're just saying that crazy might not be half as crazy as you think," Dean replied.

"So, if someone were to tell you they saw a ghost, you'd… believe that?" Tommy asked hesitantly.

Dean glanced at Sam and Angela before looking back at Tommy. "Just assume we believe everything."

"Okay, then." Tommy nodded decisively. "The other night, I was taking a ride past the old Sturges farm. You know, thinking about the rides me and Barker used to go on. I saw her, man."

Sam raised his eyebrows. "Saw her, who?"

"The girl," Tommy replied.

"What, after the attack?" Angela asked.

"Hell, yeah. She was just standing there, all bloody, watching me." Tommy explained. "So—so I turn the hell around, I-I ran back, thinking, damn, you know, she—But… She was just gone. Like, gone."

"Like a ghost." Sam nodded.

"No, I don't give one red cent in hell what the cops say," Tommy replied. "She was there. She was eaten. She was a freakin' ghost."

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela pulled up to an old farm in the Impala. They got out and started scoping the place out.

"Ghosts don't shred people like that," Sam commented.

"Yeah, well… This fleabag, looks like she ain't done chowing down on Sons of Anarchy just yet." Dean muttered as he fiddled with his .45.

"Guess she likes bad boys." Angela quipped.

Dean grinned. "Well, wait'll she gets a load of me and Sammy."

The three hunters turned on their flashlights and walked toward the seemingly deserted barn. Dean gestured with his gun for Sam and Angela to circle around the back while he took the front. Sam and Angela set off toward the back. Meanwhile, Dean continued forward, coming across several dead chickens scattered on the ground. When they reached the door, there were several deep scratches across its surface. He entered quickly and cautiously, gun aimed and ready as he scanned the interior. He clicked off the light when he heard a low voice, aiming his gun at her.

"Stop ignoring my calls." The woman whispered. "Pick up the phone and call me right now. This isn't how it's supposed to go. Look, I've been down this road before and I'm not going to…"

She stopped abruptly and sniffed the air, then suddenly bolted away from Dean. He ran after her and she ran straight into Sam and Angela, who stopped her. Sam and Angela pointed their guns at the woman, but hesitated, recognizing her.

"What?" Dean demanded.

Sam grabbed the woman's sleeve, spinning her to face Dean.

"Kate?" his brows furrowed.

~/~\~

The three hunters had tied Kate's hands with heavy rope and secured them to the rafters.

"I know who you are," Kate commented.

"Congratulations," Dean replied sarcastically.

"After what happened at school, I thought you'd let me go," Kate replied.

"Yeah, well, that was before you started dropping bodies." Angela retorted.

Kate's brows furrowed in confusion. "What?"

"Guy at the bar saw you before you went all Wolverine on his buddy," Dean replied smugly. "So… Surprise. Here we are."

"Kate, you said you were gonna go straight." Sam sighed disappointedly. "What happened?"

"I guess things change." She shrugged. "Being this… I tried to be strong, but the hunger was too much. Too hard. It's not like anyone gave me a handbook on how to be a werewolf."

"Looks like you're doing a pretty good job so far," Angela replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Break some hearts, then you eat 'em."

"I was on my own. I… evolved." Kate defended.

"So, that's what you call killing innocent people?" Sam raised his brows.

Kate clenched her jaw. "Whatever you're gonna do, just… do it."

The three hunters looked at each other, then Angela pulled back the hammer of her gun and pointed it at Kate. She hesitated briefly and Sam put a hand on Angela's arm, stopping her. Angela uncocked the weapon as Sam indicated that they needed to talk.

"Hey," Sam started concernedly. "You know what? Let me do it."

Angela looked at her husband, confused. "Why?"

As they talked, Kate started to use one of her claws to work at the rope she was tied up with.

"Because… I think you should sit this one out." Sam replied earnestly.

"What are you talking about?" Angela rolled her eyes.

"You're not ready, kiddo." Dean sighed.

Sam's phone started ringing, effectively ending the conversation. Angela turned to look at Kate who stopped moving briefly.

"Hello?" Sam answered.

 _"Warden, we had another animal attack over at the high school gymnasium. Guy was a security guard."_ The sheriff explained. _"Same M.O. as the other three."_

"When?" Sam questioned.

_"Deputy said the victim's blood was still warm when he got there, so had to be less than an hour ago."_

"Of course. Thank you. Um, I'll be in touch." Sam replied before hanging up. "We got a problem."

"What, besides, uh, werewolf Barbie over there?" Dean scoffed.

"Yeah," Sam replied. "There was another kill, across town, just before dark."

"Well, how did Kate get her murder on and then get back here b—

Sam scrunched up his face and raised his eyebrows.

"You don't think she did it," Angela commented.

"Look… I don't know." Sam shrugged. "But as far as I'm concerned—

Suddenly, the ropes snapped, and Kate managed to break free. The hunters turned around as she bolted out the door.

"Dammit!" Dean snapped.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela headed toward the Impala.

"Alright, if she's not icing people, then why play the big bad wolf?" Dean asked.

"Maybe she's running with a pack?" Sam suggested. "You know, trying to protect them?"

"Well, a hell of a price to pay. She was about two seconds away from taking a dirt nap." Angela muttered as she pulled a pink phone from her pocket.

"What is that?" Sam questioned.

"It's her phone," Angela answered. "Let's see who she was calling when we pulled up." She added as she pressed redial.

"Thank you for calling the Lincoln Motel. Can I help you?" A female voice asked.

Angela hung up and the three hunters jumped into the Impala and sped off.

~/~\~

"So, what's this about me not being ready back there?" Angela asked as they drove.

"We—we weren't… trying to start something, babe." Sam stammered. "I was just saying, I thought that was the whole point of us taking a break. You know?"

"Oh, no. No, yeah. I get that." Angela nodded. "And, you know, there's no worries there."

"Okay," Sam replied.

"But I gotta ask. What about you guys?" Angela raised her brows.

"What about us, what?" Dean frowned.

"Are you guys ready?" Angela clarified.

"Why wouldn't we be ready?" Sam asked defensively.

"Lester." Angela reminded.

"Lester?" Sam frowned.

"You're serious? This is about Lester?" Dean asked.

"Um, don't get me wrong, I'm not—I'm not trying to start anything either, okay?" Angela assured. "I'm just saying, maybe… maybe we should talk about that."

"Okay, except there's nothing to talk about." Sam retorted.

"Okay." Angela shrugged.

"Okay." The brothers muttered.

There was an uncomfortable silence between the three hunters for a few moments.

"I just figured," Angela broke the silence. "Since we're opening up veins that maybe you guys would want to talk about the guy who you guys made sell his soul."

"The guy you killed, right?" Dean asked indignantly. "I mean, that's the same guy we're talking about?"

"I was a demon." Angela defended.

"Oh, you were a demon?" Sam asked sarcastically. "Oh, we didn't realize that."

"Hey, Lester was gonna pay for that soul shake sooner or later," Angela replied. "So, technically, it's still on you guys."

"What do you want from us, Angie?" Sam asked, frustrated. "I w—We're not happy about it, okay? But we needed to find you. So, if we had to… bend a few rules…"

"Go dark," Angela replied.

"Go dark." Sam rolled his eyes. "Sure. Label it if you want."

"Look, again, I'm not complaining, okay? In fact, I'm doing just the opposite of complaining." Angela argued. "I… I just… You know, between Lester and the others…"

"There weren't others," Dean replied defensively.

"Okay, either way, maybe we all needed that time off." Angela shrugged, earning silence from the brother. She looked between them and rolled her eyes. "This is good. This is good."

"Yeah. Okay." Sam muttered.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela were seated in the Impala while Sam was inside the motel, talking to the clerk. After a few moments, Sam walked back to the Impala and Dean rolled down the window.

"Alright, so, the, uh, clerk says a blonde rolled into room 3 just before sunup," Sam explained.

"She alone?" Dean asked.

"He thinks so." Sam nodded.

Noticing movement, Angela concentrated on the mirror in time to see a petite woman leave the room.

"She's on the move," Angela muttered.

Sam and Dean became alert and watched the woman walk away. Dean and Angela got out of the car and followed the woman.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were in the park following the woman down a trail. The woman turned down a lesser-used trail evidently following a jogger, and the hunters shadowed her.

"What's she doing?" Sam asked quietly.

"Looking for breakfast," Angela replied.

They followed the woman down the trail to find her coming up behind the lone jogger. They pulled their guns and pointed them at the woman.

"Kate!" Dean bellowed.

"It's over," Sam added.

The woman turned around, revealing that it was not—in fact—Kate, but another petite blonde. She looked at them in shock and froze, raising her hands.

"Oh, god." She gasped. "Please, don't. I'll give you anything you want."

The three hunters semi-lowered their guns, still on guard.

"Where's Kate?" Angela demanded.

"Who?" the woman's brows furrowed.

"You were just in her motel room." Dean glared.

"What? That's my room." The woman replied with a frown.

"Why were you following that guy?" Angela raised her brows.

"Robbie? I-I know him. I just wanted to surprise him." The woman answered.

"Test her," Sam muttered.

"Test me for what?" the woman asked shakily.

Dean put his gun down the back of his pants and pulled a silver knife from the inside of his shirt, approaching the woman slowly.

"No! Help! Somebody help me!" she panicked.

"Just take it easy," Dean instructed.

"I don't want to die." She whimpered.

Suddenly, she changed, growing fangs and claws as her eyes turned yellow. The petite woman managed to throw the hunters around like ragdolls. She jumped on Sam, straddling him with her fingers wrapped around his throat, and proceeded to start choking him. Kate suddenly showed up and grabbed the woman from behind, hauling her off of Sam.

"Stop it! Stop it!" Kate yelled.

The woman ran and Angela aimed her gun at the woman, ready to shoot. Kate stepped in front of the weapon, shielding the retreating woman.

"Don't!" she pleaded. "She's my sister."


	8. Paper Moon Part 2

Dean, Sam, Angela, and Kate were still in the park. Angela came back from searching for Kate's sister.

"I lost her," Angela grumbled as she pulled her gun on Kate. "Kate, why is your sister a werewolf, huh?"

"Hey. Hey." Dean stopped her.

"Why?!" Angela snapped angrily.

"Baby, let her talk." Sam sighed.

"I am!" Angela retorted.

"Then put the gun down," Sam instructed.

"Why? So she can run again?" Angela raised her brows. "No way."

"She just saved our lives," Sam noted.

Angela hesitated and glanced at Kate, who was staring back at her with pleading eyes. Angela grumbled and lowered her gun.

"My sister is a werewolf because I turned her into one," Kate explained.

Dean rolled his eyes. "Okay, this is the part where you help yourself out."

"I-I don't care. Alright?" Kate shrugged. "I'm sick of the lies."

"Let me get this straight," Angela pocketed her gun. "We let you run because we take pity on you, and you turn around and you start making pups? You start killing people?!"

"It's not like that!" she shouted. "I'm no killer."

"Well, the way I remember it from the snuff film that you left us, is that you killed your boyfriend's best friend." Angela glared.

"That's because Brian went _crazy._ I had no other choice." Kate defended.

"Okay, Kate, if this wasn't you…" Sam started gently.

"That's a big 'if.'" Angela grumbled.

"Then who was it?" Sam asked. "Your sister? Your sister do this, Kate?"

Kate just stared back at the hunters silently.

"Really?" Dean raised a brow. "You almost took a bullet for her, and you got nothing?"

"What do you want me to say?" Kate retorted.

"The truth!" Angela snapped.

Sam noticed a bunch of joggers approaching. "Hey, guys. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Can we, uh, take it somewhere else?"

"Oh, yeah, sure. Go grab some coffee, maybe some bear hearts." Angela remarked sarcastically.

Dean indicated for Kate to move ahead. "Let's party."

~/~\~

The three hunters and Kate were in a diner booth seated across from Kate.

"Just so you know, Brian's the reason I carry this." Kate reached around to the small of her back.

Angela reached for her gun and narrowed her eyes. "Hey."

"I'm just showing you something." Kate slowly pulled out a silver dagger. "In case I ever lose it, like Brian did, you won't have to kill me."

"Yeah, well, saying it and doing it are two different things," Dean replied.

"I'm serious," Kate stressed. "And whether you believe me or not, I've never hurt anyone who didn't deserve it. And I have never, ever eaten a human heart."

"Guess that explains all the dead chicken back at the barn," Sam muttered.

"I eat what I can find, what people won't miss, hopefully. Small game, deer. I meditate. Yoga helps." Kate explained.

"Yoga?" Sam's brows furrowed.

"Okay." Angela scoffed.

"You laugh, but… I'll pretty much try anything to keep that side of me under control," Kate muttered.

"Well, that is great, Kate. It really is." Dean replied. "And it's nice to see that, uh, this hippie-dippie new age crap has had such a positive influence over your sister."

Kate sighed heavily and shook her head. "Tasha… She's a different story. After I left school, I was… Adrift. Lost. Not really sure where to go or… What to do, so… I went someplace safe. I went home. But… Even though I'd be good, I started to think about my family. How safe were they going to be? I was a werewolf. And then, of course, there was you three." She explained. "What if you showed up and tried to kill me? I couldn't risk that. So, I… walked away. Never called, never wrote, just… Started a new life. Until one day, I saw a posting on my sister's Facebook page."

Kate swallowed nervously and glanced at the table.

"Tasha had been in a really bad car accident." She continued. "The doctors didn't think she was gonna make it. We were always so close, so… I had to go say good-bye. Then… It hit me. This curse that I had, that had brought me nothing but pain and suffering, could actually finally maybe do something good. If I turned Tasha into a werewolf, it would heal her wounds, save her life, give her a second chance." She explained. "So, uh… I did the unthinkable. At first, I thought I'd failed, that… Even though werewolves heal quickly, it was too late for Tasha. Then she woke up, not sick anymore, but okay. Tasha had so many questions. What happened? How did she get here? So… I was straight with her. The good, the bad, the ugly. What we were and why we could never go back home, and… the responsibility we had to control what we'd become. It was a lot to swallow. But we had each other, and that felt like enough." She shrugged weakly. "Or… so I thought. My sister, she gave into everything that I had warned her about. And… I knew, even if I couldn't bring myself to admit it then… I knew I was losing her."

"So, back at the barn, that was all just an act to protect Tasha?" Sam asked.

"She's family. And, yeah, worth eating a bullet for." Kate answered. "And she needs me now more than ever. This is my mess. I gotta clean it up."

"And how do you plan on doing that, Kate?" Sam asked gently.

"By getting Tasha out of here," Kate replied.

"She hasn't listened to you yet." Sam reminded. "Why do you think she's gonna start now?"

"I don't know, but…" Kate started tearing up. "I've gotta try. Y-you know, we'll go out into the woods. We'll drop out for however long it takes until she learns to control this."

"Little late for team building, don't you think?" Dean quirked a brow.

"So, what?" Kate frowned deeply. "I just _abandon_ her? I did this. I owe her every chance to make it right."

"What if she never does?" Sam retorted.

"Then I'll take care of it," Kate assured.

"You'll take care of it? You know what that means?" Angela raised her brows.

"Why don't you ask Brian?" Kate muttered.

"Well, maybe it doesn't have to come to that. You know, if you had shot straight with us from the get-go, we might've been able to help you sooner." Angela replied.

Kate's brows furrowed in curiosity. "What do you mean."

"By _curing_ you both," Angela said with a shrug.

Sam and Dean looked at Angela in disbelief.

"Shut up." Kate narrowed her eyes skeptically.

"Yeah, okay, or you're welcome." Angela retorted sarcastically.

"There is no cure for werewolves," Kate replied obviously.

"And for a long time, that was true, but we found one." Angela shrugged. "Now we've got everything we need on our end. Okay? But the clock is tickin', and we need one more thing—Tasha. Unless… You wanna do this without her?"

"N-no. No. It's a long drive, but… I know where to find her." Kate replied eagerly.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were at the trunk of the Impala.

"Kiddo, what are you doing?" Dean asked. "There is no cure."

Angela showed Sam and Dean her concealed knife. "There's one."

"Baby, it's a little more _complicated_ than that." Sam sighed.

"Kate and Tasha are monsters, okay? Last I checked, we kill monsters." Angela reminded.

"Right, but how can you possibly blame Kate for fighting for her family? We do it all the time." Sam argued.

"Well, yeah, and that's worked wonders for us." Angela scoffed.

"Well, we're still here, aren't we?" Dean shrugged.

"Yeah, but is it right?" Angela questioned. "I mean, all that you guys have done for me, I've still got this mark."

"And we'll figure that out." Sam insisted. "We always do, baby. But you can't take whatever's happened to us or to you and—and dump it at these girls' feet."

"Alright, so, what?" Angela pursed her lips. "You wanna nuance this thing? Hit me. What's your plan?"

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, Angela, and Kate were in the Impala. Sam and Angela were in the back while Kate slept in the front seat.

"Kate?" Sam asked softly.

"She's out," Dean replied.

"Okay. Then, um…" Sam turned to Angela. "Baby, I gotta tell you something. I, uh… We lied about Lester."

"What?" Angela's brows furrowed in confusion.

"There were others," Sam admitted.

"Other humans?" Angela's brows shot up.

"No." he replied quickly. "No, no. And—and I'm sure there were a few hunters we rubbed—or we… punched the wrong way, but… No. Dean and I pretty much saved our best stuff for the bad guys. But, you gotta understand something, Angie." Sam looked at her, his face full of emotion. "I _watched_ you die. And I carried you." His voice cracked slightly. "I carried your corpse into your room, and I put your dead body on the bed, and then you just…"

"Yeah," Angela replied softly.

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"I know." Angela took one of Sam's hands in hers. "I guess I was hoping that note would, you know, fill in the blanks."

"Don't look for me? That note?" Sam asked incredulously. "Yeah, that was really informative. Thanks."

"Yeah. I…" Angela trailed off.

"What?" Sam pressed.

Angela looked down at their joined hands. "It's _embarrassing,_ you know?"

"W-what's embarrassing?" Sam asked softly.

"All of it," Angela replied, ashamed. "You know, the—the—that note. Crowley. Max. Everything."

Sam hooked a finger under Angela's chin and forced her to look up at him. "Angie, you were a demon."

"I was a demon? Oh, thanks. I didn't—I didn't realize." Angela scoffed.

"Shut up," Sam replied, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Not to mention, I never even said 'thank you,' to either of you, so…" Angela trailed off.

"Baby, you don't _ever_ have to say that, not to us," Sam replied softly and sincerely.

"He's right, kiddo." Dean piped up, glancing at her in the rearview mirror. "You never, ever have to thank us."

Angela sniffled slightly and leaned against Sam. "Well… Good. Little R&R and we are back at it."

The three hunters drove in silence as Kate stirred. Dean glanced at her.

"Hey. How we doing?" he asked.

Kate looked around as she sat up straight. "We're getting close."

"What is this place?" Dean questioned.

"Ever since Tasha and I were little, we've been coming up to this cabin with our parents." She explained.

"Now why do you think Tasha will even be here?" Sam asked curiously.

"When she became a wolf, we knew it was gonna be hard, so we kinda came up with this escape plan in case things ever got bad," Kate replied.

"So, this is a rendezvous spot?" Angela raised her brows.

"Pretty much." Kate nodded.

~/~\~

The Impala came to a stop in front of a cabin in the woods. They doused the headlights and parked out front.

"Now what?" Sam asked.

"Maybe I should go in first, explain all this?" Kate suggested.

Angela nodded. "Sounds good."

Kate went to leave the car but Dean suddenly grabbed her wrist, shackling her to the steering wheel with a pair of silver handcuffs.

"What are you doing?!" Kate yelled, turning her head to look at Angela. "There is no cure, is there? I trusted you. It's not her fault. It's mine!"

"She killed people," Angela replied firmly.

"Because I did this to her, okay? So, if you want your pound of flesh, take me." Kate begged.

"We'll deal with you later," Angela assured.

"But she can be saved!" Kate cried.

"No." Angela shook her head sadly. "Tasha's in too deep. You don't ever come back from that, not ever." She added. "Come on, guys."

"No! Please!" Kate struggled against her bonds. "Don't do this! No! Please! Don't!"

The three hunters got out of the car and walked away toward the cabin, leaving Kate cuffed in the Impala.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela walked into the cabin, guns drawn, each scouting a different part of the room. Sam and Dean went a separate way from Angela and eventually came to a bedroom where Tasha was seated on the bed holding a doll.

"I can't believe my own sister betrayed me." She shook her head.

"Yeah, except… she didn't." Dean narrowed his eyes.

"You're not gonna shoot me." Tasha scoffed.

"And why is that?" Sam asked.

"Dean. Sammy." Angela said suddenly.

Angela was being walked into the room, a pistol held on her by an unknown male. Sam and Dean whirled to face the threat, guns rising.

~/~\~

Angela was being shoved around while Dean pointed his gun at Tasha and Sam pointed his gun at the man holding Angela.

"Drop the guns, or Barbie here gets her mind blown." Tasha threatened.

"Don't do it, guys," Angela replied.

The man hit Angela on the back of the head with his gun and she crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain.

"Well… Dean, Sammy?" Tasha mocked.

The brothers hesitated for a moment before dropping their guns. Tasha kicked them aside as Kate appeared in the doorway, having been freed and dragged into the cabin by another strange male.

"Tasha! What did—who are these people?" Kate asked.

"Brandon. Travis." Tasha smiled evilly at her sister. "I turned them. They're our new family."

"Yeah, you're a regular psycho Brady Bunch." Angela sassed from her spot on the floor.

One of the men lurched at Angela, baring werewolf teeth.

"Hey!" Sam and Dean shouted, moving toward Angela.

Tasha grabbed Dean and effortlessly threw him across the room. She then grabbed Sam and tossed him onto the bed and proceeded to start strangling him.

"No!" Kate cried.

"You've always had crappy taste in guys," Tasha told her sister as she strangled Sam.

"Tasha, we can talk about this." Kate struggled against her captor.

Tasha abruptly let go of Sam and whirled to face Kate. Sam rose from the bed and Dean groaned as he stood back up.

"They were gonna kill me." Tasha glared. "And now you're protecting them?"

"No. I'm protecting you." Kate corrected.

"Yeah. I'm good. Thanks." Tasha sassed. "So, here's how it's gonna be. You can walk away or you can join my pack."

Kate shook off her captor. "I'm not walking away."

"Then prove you got what it takes." Tasha shrugged, glancing at Sam. "Eat his heart out."

Kate looked darkly at Sam, who swallowed nervously.

"Kate," he started. "You don't have to do this."

"No one's talking to you, Paul Bunyan!" Tasha barked before turning to her sister. "So?"

"No." Kate shook her head in disgust.

"Take them," Tasha told her minions. "Have some fun. Oh, and I want a heart to-go. Put it in a doggie bag."

The men grabbed Sam, Dean, and Angela, marching them into the other room.

"On your knees!" one of the men shoved Dean.

"Wow. Well, I'm awfully flat—

Dean got clocked in the face by the man while the second man punched Sam and Angela in their stomachs. The three hunters dropped to their knees, groaning.

~/~\~

"You guys okay?" Angela asked the brothers.

"We've been better." Sam groaned.

"These guys, huh? Can you believe 'em?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, a couple of minor leaguers." Angela mocked.

"Yo!" one of the men snapped. "You're dead. You don't get to talk. In fact—

Sam suddenly lurched up, driving his knife into the first man's stomach. Dean pulled his knife and attacked the other man, but he deflected and caught Dean's arm. The man went to bite Dean, but Angela stabbed him in the chest.

"Well, welcome to the majors, boys," Dean muttered.

~/~\~

The bedroom was empty but for Tasha's corpse on the ground. The door crashed open and the three hunters entered, guns drawn. They saw Tasha dead on the ground and then noticed an open window across the room.

~/~\~

"So, are we going after her?" Angela asked as the Impala sped down the dark road.

"I don't know, Angie," Sam muttered.

"But, you guys gotta admit, when push came to kill, she did well," Angela noted.

"Yeah." Sam agreed. "So, maybe it's a good thing you didn't shoot her."

"Really?" Angela rolled her eyes. "Babe, if you got an itch to scratch…"

"Angie, look, we all jumped on this case," Sam replied earnestly. "I agree. Equal parts blame there. But the whole idea behind laying low was to rest, to… try and deal with everything we—everything you went through. Maybe we jumped back in too fast. I mean, Angie… you were a demon. You still have the mark." He added worriedly. "Didn't you ever wanna talk about it?"

"Talk about it? Talk about it how?" Angela asked, irritated.

"Come on, kid." Dean sighed.

"I am coming on, look… I know what happened." Angela replied. "Okay? I was there. Remember? I'm not trying to get by it. I just… That's not what this was about."

"Then what is this about?" Sam's brows furrowed.

"It's about getting back into the saddle. Okay?" Angela replied forcefully. "Doing something good, not stewing in my own crap."

"And what if you're not ready, baby?" Sam asked anxiously.

Angela turned to look at her husband, but their conversation was interrupted by a ringing phone. Angela, realizing it was the phone she took from Kate earlier, answered it, putting it on speakerphone.

"Well, I'll give you one thing," Angela answered. "Pretty damned good at getaways."

 _"Yeah. Well, I decided that living was better than being dead."_ Kate replied.

"For what it's worth, thank you," Sam noted. "At the end of the day, she was your sister."

 _"No. She wasn't."_ Kate murmured sadly.

"Listen to me, Kate," Dean said. "You keep moving, keep your nose clean, and we can stop meeting like this."

 _"I hear ya,"_ Kate replied. _"And I will, but I'm not gonna promise, 'cause…"_

"Yeah." Sam understood.

"See you around, kid," Dean added.

 _"I sure as hell hope not,"_ Kate replied before hanging up.

The three hunters sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments.

"Let's say you're right," Angela said suddenly.

"About what?" Sam's brows furrowed.

"Maybe I'm not ready to hunt." Angela shrugged, unshed tears in her eyes. "But I am just _trying_ to do the right thing." She added brokenly. "Because I'm so _sick_ and _tired_ of doing the wrong one."


	9. Fan Fiction Part 1

Angela was packing up the Impala when Sam and Dean came out. Sam held Grace in his arms, who started squirming immediately when she spotted her mother.

"Mama!" the 18-month-old squealed.

"Hey, baby girl." Angela turned to look at her daughter.

"Babe, how long have you been up?" Sam asked.

"Long enough to find us a case," Angela replied.

"Long enough to… I take it that means you're back to normal?" Dean raised his brows.

"Yeah, whatever normal is in our world." Angela shrugged. "So, huh, right here," she showed the newspaper to the brothers. "A teacher in an all-girls school went missing in Flint, Michigan. She was heading to her car, disappeared, and nobody's seen her since."

Sam's brows furrowed in confusion. "Angie, there's nothing here that even remotely suggests there is a case."

"There is nothing that even remotely suggests there isn't a case," Angela argued.

"Come on, kid." Dean sighed.

"Guys! Out there, hunting. It's the only normal I know." Angela shrugged. "Come on. We got work to do."

~/~\~

_Flint, Michigan_

The Impala pulled up to the all-girls school and Dean put it in park. Sam was on the phone.

"Yeah, of course. Yeah, I certainly appreciate it. You got it. Thanks, officer." He said before hanging up. "So, the last place Ms. Chandler was seen by anyone was in the auditorium. Turns out she's the theater teacher."

Dean groaned as they got out of the car. Angela pulled Grace into her arms.

"Ugh, theater kids. Great." Dean grumbled.

"What?" Sam scoffed. "I was a theater kid."

"Really?" Angela grinned up at her husband. "Oh my God, Sammy! That's adorable!"

"Barely." Dean cut in. "He did Our Town, which was cool. But then, he did that crappy musical."

Sam's brows shot up. "The—Oklahoma? Hugh Jackman got cast off Oklahoma."

"You ran tech, Wolverine." Dean reminded.

"Shut up," Sam muttered, wrapping an arm around Angela's waist.

"Hm. Well, I think it's cute, babe." Angela gushed as they walked into the school.

~/~\~

Principal Salazar greeted the hunters and lead them to the auditorium.

"If you three need anything else, let me know." She told them.

"Great." Sam smiled softly. "Thanks, Ms. Salazar."

~/~\~

When they entered the auditorium, a familiar word that they hadn't heard in a while caught their attention. They turned to see a young actress dressed as Bobby.

"You, idjits! You, idjits." She practiced. "You are, idjits."

Dean looked at Sam and Angela, but then, another familiar expression was heard.

"Hey, ass-butt! Hey! Ass-butt!" a young actress dressed as Castiel exclaimed.

Suddenly, the hunters heard a few notes played on a nearby piano.

"John and Mary, husband and wife." Siobhan sang as the scene started. "Bringing home a brand new life. His name is Sammy, I'm big brother, Dean. The perfect family, or so it seems. The demon's visits had begun. He believed Sam was the chosen one. It burned my mother, and it cursed my brother! Leaving us in tears. On the road so far, yeah, the road so far! We are in Dad's car—

"Cut!" Marie interrupted.

Marie went on stage to direct her actresses. Meanwhile, Sam, Dean, and Angela were trying to absorb what they had just seen.

"What in the holy…" Dean muttered.

"If there is a case… It probably has something to do with all this." Sam added.

"You think?" Angela raised her brows.

Maeve spotted the three hunters and walked over to Marie.

"Amateurs?" she asked.

Marie ran over to Sam, Dean, and Angela, followed by Maeve.

"Hi!" Marie greeted. "Oh, my gosh… Are you guys from the publisher? I'm Marie, writer slash director. This is Maeve, my stage manager, and I was just, uh, dir—

Marie stopped when she saw Angela's badge. Dean and Angela tried to show their own badges, but when Sam realized the actresses who played Sam, Dean, and Angela were doing the same, he stopped them.

"I'm special agent Smith," Sam replied. "These are my partners, special agent—

"Smith." Angela and Dean replied.

"Smith." Sam nodded. "No relation. We're here to look into the disappearance—

"There is no singing in Supernatural!" Dean interrupted.

Sam and Angela looked slightly embarrassed while Maeve and Marie just looked confused.

"Well, this is Marie's interpretation…" Maeve muttered.

"Hah! Well… I mean, if there was singing, you know… And that's a _big_ if," Dean exclaimed. "If there was singing, it would be classic rock. Not this Andrew Floyd Webber crap—

"Andrew Lloyd Webber," Sam whispered.

"What?" Dean turned to his brother.

"Well, you know, we do sing a cover of Carry On Wayward Son, in the second act," Marie explained.

"Oh." Dean nodded.

"Really?" Angela asked.

"It's a classic!" Marie and Dean replied defensively.

"Right." Angela nodded. "Anyways. We're here to talk about the disappearance of Ms. Chandler. Any chance you two saw her, before she vanished."

"Um, yeah. She left around, like, what? 9:30?" Marie shrugged.

"Any idea where she would be headed at that time of night?" Sam questioned.

"A bar. Or a liquor store. Both." Maeve shrugged.

Sam's brows furrowed. "Wow. Really?"

"She had a nasty divorce, last year," Marie explained. "Most of the time, she's sipping on her, uh, grown-up juice, or passed out. Usually in that order."

"Yeah, well, I don't blame her," Dean grumbled. "I'm gonna need fifty yellow shots and an oz down to get this sick off of me."

Sam laughed awkwardly, while Maeve tried to jump at Dean.

"Maeve, right? You're the stage manager?" Sam asked curiously.

"And I understudy Jody Mills," Maeve replied.

"What?" Dean frowned.

"That's great! That's great." Angela cut in quickly. "Jody Mills, that's great. So, how about you give a… behind the scenes tour, while your director shows our partner Ms. Chandler's office? Deal?" she suggested, earning a nod from the girls. "Great. Give us a moment, please."

"Okay." Marie nodded.

"I'm gonna throw up," Dean grumbled.

Maeve shot Dean a nasty look while going back to the stage.

"I mean, I gotta say, it's kind of charming. The production value, and the… No?" Sam stopped upon seeing his brother's look. "No, no. Angie and I are gonna check for EMF. You look for… cursed objects."

~/~\~

Dean followed Marie and got a glimpse at the behind the scenes, especially at the fake weapons.

"How did you get all this stuff?" Dean asked.

"Some parts homemade, some parts repurposed. All of it, awesome…" she trailed off as Dean started playing with one of the weapons. "Don't! Please, don't."

Dean noticed Siobhan and Maggie rehearsing a scene. "What are they doing?"

"Oh. Um, they're rehearsing the B.M. scene." Marie explained.

Dean cringed. "The bowel movement scene?"

"No!" Marie exclaimed with wide eyes. "The boy melodrama scene. You know, the scene where the boys get together, usually with Angela, and they're—they're driving, or leaning against Baby. Drinking a beer, sharing their feelings. Alone. But together. Bonded—

"Why are they standing so close together?" Dean interrupted.

"Um… Reasons." Marie shrugged.

Dean rolled his eyes. "You know they're _brothers,_ right?"

"Well, duh. But… subtext." Marie smirked.

Dean clenched his jaw. "Why don't you take some substeps back there, ladies?"

Siobhan and Maggie looked at Marie, confused, and awkwardly put some distance between them.

~/~\~

Sam, Angela, and Maeve sat in the sound and lighting room. Grace sat on Angela's lap and looked around curiously.

"Now, have you noticed anything strange during the production?" Sam asked.

"Any odd noises?" Angela added. "Or, uh—

"You mean, something like this?" Maeve pushed a button, causing a scream to sound. "Or perhaps, this?" she pressed another button.

"Right. Of course." Sam pursed his lips.

"How about this?" Maeve pressed another button.

"W-we got it. Thanks." Sam replied. "You know, back when I did tech in school, we had two CD decks—

Suddenly, Maeve heard someone talking to her through her headset.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "I have to go sign the delivery. Please, don't touch anything."

Maeve left and Sam couldn't resist and started playing with the lights, while Siobhan and Maggie were on stage.

"Sam." Angela scolded. "That's something I'd expect from our toddler."

"Bad dada!" Grace giggled.

"Sorry!" Sam apologized over the microphone.

~/~\~

Marie lead Dean to Ms. Chandler's office. Dean looked at the empty liquor bottles, then stumbled upon a robot's head.

"Is this hers?" Dean asked curiously.

"No! That's my prop from act two!" Marie exclaimed. "I've been looking for that, actually."

"There's no space in Supernatural." Dean retorted.

"Well, not canonically, no. But this is transformative fiction." Marie explained.

"You mean fan fiction," Dean smirked.

"Call it whatever you like, okay? It's inspired by Carver Edlund's books." Marie replied. "With a few embellishments. But, as you know, Chuck stopped writing after Swan Song. I just—I couldn't leave it the way it was! I mean, Dean and Angela not hunting anymore?! Sam, somehow back from Hell, but not with Dean and Angela?! So, I wrote my own ending."

"You wrote your own ending. With spaceships?" Dean quirked a brow.

"And robots," Marie added. "And some ninjas. And then, Dean becomes a woman. It's just for a few scenes."

"Alright, Shakespeare," Dean replied as they walked back into the auditorium. "You know that I can actually tell you what really happened with the- the, Sam, Dean, and Angela? A friend of mine hooked me up with the, uh, unpublished, unpublished books." He explained. "So, Sam came back from Hell. But without a soul. Then, Cas brought in a bunch of Leviathans from Purgatory. They lost Bobby. And then, Cas and Dean got stuck in Purgatory, Sam hit a dog, and Angela had a baby. They met a prophet named Kevin, they lost him too. Then Sam endured a series of trials, in an attempt to close the gates of Hell. Which nearly cost him his life. Then Angela? Angela became a demon. Knight of Hell, actually."

"Wow…" Marie gaped.

"Yep." Dean pursed his lips.

"That is some of the _worst_ fan fiction that I've ever heard!" Marie cackled. "I mean, seriously, I don't know where your friend found this garbage! I am not saying that ours is a masterpiece or anything, but geez! I'll have to send you some fic links later."

Dean noticed Siobhan and Kristen, still with their Dean and Castiel costumes on, kissing.

"What are they doing?" Dean asked curiously.

"Um… Kids, these days, call it hugging." Marie replied slowly.

"Is that in the show?" Dean asked.

"Oh, no." Marie shook her head. "Siobhan and Kristen are a couple in real life. Although, we do explore the nature of Destiel in act two."

Dean's brows furrowed. "Sorry, what?"

"Oh, it's just subtext!" she assured quickly. "But, then again, you know, you can't spell subtext without… s-e-x."

~/~\~

Dean went back to his brother and Angela, outside of the school. Grace was sleeping in Sam's arms.

"I don't understand," Sam commented.

"Me neither." Dean agreed.

"I mean, shouldn't it be… Deastiel?" Sam pondered, causing Angela to laugh.

"Really?" Dean deadpanned. "That's your issue with this?"

Sam smirked. "No, of course, it's not my issue. You know… How about Sastiel? Samstiel?"

"What about Angastiel?" Angela added curiously.

"Okay, alright. You know what?" Dean raised his brows. "You two are gonna do that thing, where you just shut the hell up. Forever."

Sam and Angela both laughed at Dean's reaction.

"Look, man. No EMF. No hexbags. None of the props are even remotely hinky." Sam explained. "Other than the Charlie Kaufman of it all, we got nothing. You?"

"In Ms. Chandler's office, there's just a pile of empty bottles and regret." Dean sighed. "She's just probably face down in a bar, somewhere. Or a ditch. Alright, so, what? This—this all… This whole musical thing, everything, it's… It's all a coincidence? There is no case?"

"Unless you're seeing something we're not, no, Dean. You guys were right, there's no case here." Angela shrugged.

"Okay." Dean conceded.

"CasDean?" Sam asked suddenly.

"Shut your face! Get in the car!" Dean snapped.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were back at the auditorium. Grace held Sam's hand, sucking her thumb.

"So, I checked with the principal," Dean sighed. "There's nothing on the surveillance tapes. What the—what the cops think?"

"You know, the only clue they found was by the dumpster. They found the same flower, near Ms. Chandler's cell phone." Sam showed the flower to Dean. "You recognize it?"

"No." Dean shook his head.

"Yeah, neither do we," Angela muttered.

The three hunters and Grace walked over to Marie and Maeve.

"Hey." Angela greeted.

"Let me guess," Marie replied glumly. "You came here to laugh at me too. Right?"

"Why don't you tell us what happened to your friend?" Sam asked gently.

"Maggie quit the show. She was trying to get it shut down, so, we were fighting." Marie explained. "Then she-she left, and I heard her scream. So, I ran outside to help. And… And I saw a scarecrow. It looked just like the one from our show. But… Alive."

"Then, what?" Dean asked.

"It wrapped her in vines, and took her behind the dumpster." Marie continued. "And then, they were both just… gone. So, I called the cops, and a bunch of adults just told me I have an overactive imagination. But, it's all real. Ghosts. Angels. Demons."

"I wanna believe," Maeve added softly.

"You should believe. You both should. 'Cause it's all real." Sam replied. "And so are we. I'm Sam Winchester. That's Dean, and that's Angela."

Maeve and Marie looked at the hunters, then at each other before the burst out laughing.

"Okay! Now, look. I'm willing to accept that monsters are real." Marie chuckled. "But those books are works of fiction."

"And you guys are way too old to Sam, Dean, and Angela," Maeve added.

"Oh, yeah!" Marie agreed.

"More of a Bobby/Rufus/Jody combo? Maybe." Maeve shrugged.

"Okay. Alright, little miss sunshine." Dean rolled his eyes. "We are what the books call hunters."

"FBI hunters?" Maeve quirked a brow.

"Yeah." Dean nodded.

"You guys are X-Files," Maeve replied.

"Sure. Yeah, you can say that." Angela nodded. "So, this scarecrow, from your musical, is it based on the one from the books?"

"No, I changed it. I got scared of a local legend when I was a kid." Marie explained. "There was this old creepy scarecrow, on an abandoned farm, outside of town. Kids used to say, if it caught you, it would take you away."

"Okay. If this scarecrow if based on your version, then Ms. Chandler and Maggie might still be alive." Dean commented.

"You think the scarecrow was created by the play?" Maeve asked.

"You think… it's a tulpa." Marie breathed out.

~/~\~

They all went to the school's library. Sam put a book, opened on the tulpa's page, in front of Marie and Maeve.

"Tulpas are monsters that are created by an intense, focused energy on an idea, or—

"Or a story." Marie finished.

"Great. How do you kill an idea?" Maeve mumbled.

"Well, in Hell House, Sam and Dean burnt the house down, to take out the one tulpa they hunted," Marie recalled.

"Yeah, yeah, you kill the symbol, you kill the tulpa." Dean nodded. "It's a-actually, a pretty good start. So, the scarecrow in your play. Is it a person, or a prop?"

"Prop," Marie replied. "And it's terrifying. We keep it in the boiler room."

"That's, uh, great. Um… Can you guys read up? Just, give us a sec." Sam replied before he, Dean, Angela, and Grace walked a few feet away. "Fine, so, this doesn't add up. Tulpas require a ton. Of psychic energy to juice up."

"Yeah." Dean agreed.

"Well, it's not like the Supernatural books are tearing up the New York Times best-seller list. And I seriously doubt this play has even sold out." Angela muttered as she adjusted Grace in her arms.

"I hope not." Dean agreed.

"Well, but, you know what? This flower." Sam recalled. "I know I've seen it in the lore, somewhere. There's gotta be a connection."

"Alright. You guys get on that," Dean instructed. "I'm gonna take a shot at burning man."

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"Yeah." Dean sighed before walking over to Marie. "Can you show me to the boiler room?"

"Yeah… Sure." Marie nodded.

~/~\~

Dean and Marie entered the boiler room. The scarecrow was hidden under an old blanket.

"Gird your loins. It's horrifying." Marie warned.

Dean went closer to the thing, took off the blanket, revealing the monster, which turned out to be less horrifying than expected.

"Really?" Dean deadpanned.

"I know. Scary, right?" Marie asked.

Dean pursed his lips and grabbed a nearby tool. "You wanna piñata this asshat?"

"Asshat?" Marie quirked a brow. "Nice. It's, uh, very Dean. No. He's all yours, Agent Smith."

Dean immediately cut the thing into several pieces, then, with Marie's help, he put it through the fire.

~/~\~

Dean opened the library door for Marie.

"Thank you." She smiled.

"We came, we saw, we kicked—

"It's not a tulpa." Sam interrupted.

"What?" Dean frowned.

"It's not a tulpa." He repeated.

"Say it one more time, but just a little bit more like Arnold, like—it's not a tulpa." Dean mimicked.

"Dean, come on." Angela scolded. "It's Calliope."

"Who?" Dean's brows furrowed.

"The goddess of epic poetry? The muse." Maeve replied.

"She's associated with this—the borage, or the starflower. That's the picture." Sam explained.

"Okay, wait," Dean frowned. "If this is a good thing, then what's with the scarecrow?"

"According to the lore, Calliope manifests creatures from the story she's tuned to," Angela explained.

"So… the scarecrow is still alive, and we burned my prop for nothing?" Marie frowned.

"Oh, that thing needed to burn." Dean retorted.

"The only way to destroy the scarecrow is to kill Calliope," Maeve noted.

"Right," Sam confirmed. "She uses these manifestations, like the scarecrow, to inspire the author, and protect them, until their vision has been realized."

"Then, what?" Dean questioned.

"Then, she _eats_ the author," Angela replied.

"Okay, that's bad. Um… Well, you get your wish. Let's cancel the show." Marie replied quickly.

"That's what your teacher and classmate did." Sam reminded. "They tried to shut you down, and the scarecrow took them. Protecting you, and the show."

"Okay, so, the scarecrow is the boogeyman. We got to take our shot with this, uh…"

"Calliope." Angela reminded.

"Calliope," Dean repeated. "But she won't show herself until—your vision has been realized."

"So… what are you saying?" Marie frowned.

"The show must go on." Dean sighed.


	10. Fan Fiction Part 2

Marie started panicking in the middle of the library and Dean was quick to calm her down.

"Hey," he started. "Why don't you—

"Why don't you guys rally Marie?" Sam suggested. "Angie and I are gonna, uh, grab some wooden stakes in the trunk and do the blessing."

Sam, Angela, and Grace left, leaving Dean and Maeve with the challenge of calming Marie down.

"Is Marie gonna get eaten?" Maeve asked.

"Not gonna happen," Dean assured. "Soon as the curtain rises, we're gonna be there to take out this Calliope." He added before turning to Marie. "Hey, hey. How're you doing, champ?"

"This… This is all my fault." Marie replied. "If I hadn't written this dumb play, none of this would've happened."

"Okay. First of all, the play is not dumb." Dean retorted.

Maeve's brows furrowed. "I thought you didn't believe in this interpretation?"

"Yeah. I don't. Look, like, at all." Dean replied. "But you do. Okay? And I need you to believe in it with all you got. So that we can kill Calliope, and we can save your friends. Can you do that?"

"Yeah." Marie nodded. "If Sam, Dean, and Angela were real, they wouldn't back down from a fight. Especially my sweet, brave, selfless Sam. There's nothing he can't do."

"No…" Dean muttered.

Marie turned around to face a mirror and sighed. "Okay. Let's do this. I understudy Sam, so…" she grabbed a wig. "I used this for my one-woman Orphan Black show, last year. But it's gonna have to work for Sam." She explained as she put the wig on. "Writer. Director. Actor. I'm gonna Barbra Streisand this bitch."

~/~\~

The audience filed into the auditorium and took their seats. Behind the scenes, Marie, Angela, Dean, and Sam were talking to the actors.

"Okay. Good, good. Okay." Marie was checking on the costumes. "Alright. Samulet?"

Siobhan held up the Samulet.

"The… Samulet?" Dean's brows furrowed.

"The amulet is a symbol of the Winchesters' brotherly love," Marie explained.

Sam and Angela came in carrying wooden stakes, and Angela held Grace in one arm. Sam handed a stake to his brother.

"Hey." Angela greeted.

"Pretty good," Sam noted as he took in the costume design. "Wait a second… Where's Chuck?"

"Oh! I-I, I love him. I do!" Marie assured. "But, honestly, the whole author inserting himself into the narrative thing, it's just not my favorite. I kind of hate the meta-stories."

"Me too." The three hunters replied simultaneously.

"Alright, listen up, girls." Dean started. "Now, you're all here, because you love Supernatural."

"Actually, I was hoping we'd do Wicked." The girl playing Mary replied.

"Yeah, that'd have been easier," Dean muttered. "I know I. have expressed some differences of opinion, regarding this particular version of Supernatural. But tonight, it is all about Marie's vision. This is Marie's Supernatural. So, I want you to get out there, and I want you to stand as close as she wants you to, and I want you to put as much sub and add text, as you possibly can. There is no other road. No other way. No day, but today."

"Did he just quote Rent?" Maeve frowned.

"Not enough to get us in trouble," Marie muttered.

"Now, you get out there, and you kick it in the ass!" Dean exclaimed.

"Alright!" the girl playing Angela grinned.

"Bring it in!" Marie exclaimed.

The actresses got together in a circle and put their hands in the middle.

"Ghoooooost-facersss!" the girls chanted.

Sam, Dean, and Angela shared a look.

~/~\~

Marie went out on stage to introduce the show.

"Good evening, everybody," she started. "Welcome to our production of Supernatural. I'm not gonna lie. It might be a full-on Gallagher show opening up this piece. Uh, so, those of you in the front rows may want to use the ponchos we provided for you, under your seats. You may, in fact, get wet on this ride. Um, I would like to thank the, uh, cast and crew—

"Okay. She's stalling, let's do this." Dean muttered.

"Copy that," Maeve replied. "Curtain, kids. It's showtime."

The music started, interrupting Marie, and causing some people to laugh.

"Okay, um… And-and, that, concludes our introduction for the night." She stammered. "So, everybody just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show."

"Everyone, in places?" Maeve asked into her microphone.

"John and Mary, husband and wife," Siobhan started singing. "Bringing home a brand new life. His name is Sammy, I'm big brother, Dean. The perfect family, or so it seemed."

While Siobhan sang, Sam and Angela were searching for the scarecrow. Angela held Grace in her arms protectively.

"The demon's visits had begun," Siobhan continued. "He believed Sam was the chosen one. It burned my mother, and it cursed my brother…"

Dean bopped his head to the tune of the song, earning a look from Maeve.

"Leaving us in tears." Siobhan sang. "On the road so far, yeah the road so far! We are in Dad's car…"

Suddenly, the scarecrow showed up behind Sam and Angela. Dean attempted to warn them, but the couple didn't seem to understand.

"Turn around!" Dean instructed.

Finally, Sam and Angela turned around to face the scarecrow.

"On the road so far," Siobhan sang. "Dad was driven, no turning back. He wouldn't stop without the payback. He trained us both to track and hunt and kill. He took away our own free will."

While the show was still playing, Dean ran backstage to try and help Sam and Angela, but it was too late. Marie saw Sam, Angela, and Grace disappear with the scarecrow.

"So, that's where we are," Siobhan continued. "On the road so far. Saving people, hunting things, family business back in swing. Driving down the road so far…"

~/~\~

"Agents?" Maggie's brows furrowed in concern.

"Where the hell are we?" Angela asked as she held Grace close to her.

"School's basement. The scarecrow brought us down here." Maggie explained.

Sam stood up and swiftly pulled Angela up, making sure that she and Grace were okay. He went over to the door and tried to open it, but it didn't move a muscle.

"Yeah, I tried that days ago." Ms. Chandler sighed.

"So, what?" Angela's brows furrowed. "We're stuck in here?"

At that moment, Calliope appeared out of nowhere.

"That's right." She smirked. "You're gonna miss the big show."

Sam walked toward Calliope, but with her powers, the goddess pinned him to the door.

"Sam!" Angela cried.

~/~\~

"Okay. So, you can pop in tomorrow morning." Siobhan said into the prop phone.

"Yes. I'll just… Wait here then." Kristen replied.

Dean went over to Marie as the song started playing.

"What do we do now?" Marie asked worriedly.

"Just stick to the plan, okay? Keep singing, until the scarecrow comes for you." Dean instructed.

"I'll just wait here, then." Kristen sang. "That's what I'll do. I'll just wait here, then, wait for my cue. I raised you from perdition, to be God's ammunition. But now, you need some rest, so I will do what's best. I'll just wait here, then. That's all I'll do. I'll just wait here, then, I'll wait for you."

Once the song finished, the audience broke out into applause.

~/~\~

"I've consumed many authors. Many stories." Calliope commented. "But tonight, soon as that curtain opened, I knew something special was brewing with this one. Maybe it's because the story's actual inspiration's here. I don't know. I guess I'm gonna have to kill you two and Dean to find out."

"Don't you have to wait, until the vision has been realized?" Sam questioned.

Calliope scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, gods! If I have to sit through that second act, one more time… There's robots, and tentacles, and space. I can't even."

~/~\~

Dean kept a close eye on Marie as she went out on stage to sing.

"A single man tear's slipped on his face," she started. "He shows emotion without a trace. He hides behind a mask so strong. Worried that he could be wrong. I wish that he could see the way I see him, the perfect brother, a man without sin. Cause underneath the manly sheen, he's my brother, a boy named Dean. A single man tear, a single man tear, a single man tear… that's all we fear."

While Siobhan was getting ready to sing her part, the scarecrow appeared. Dean saw him and jumped on him, forgetting he was on stage, right in front of the audience.

"A single man tear, that's all I'll spare," Siobhan sang.

"Okay! We're through the looking glass here, people." Maeve said into her headset. "Strike the wendigo set, let's prep the priest costumes. And Sarah? Get understudies into hair and makeup."

~/~\~

"So, why this story, huh? Why, uh, Supernatural?" Angela asked.

"Supernatural has everything," Calliope replied. "Life. Death. Resurrection. Redemption. But above all, family. All sorts of music you can really tap your toe to. It isn't some meandering piece of genre deck. It's… epic!"

~/~\~

"But underneath this broken mask," Siobhan sang as Dean fought the scarecrow. "It is my father, with all his wrath."

~/~\~

"And that… Well, that is my bag of tea." Calliope smirked.

"Bag this!" Maggie explained.

Maggie hit Calliope on the head with a book and Ms. Chandler gave the stake back to Sam.

~/~\~

The scarecrow threw Dean away and stalked toward Marie.

"No chick flick moments!" Marie exclaimed, stabbing the scarecrow.

For a moment, it seemed like the scarecrow was going to fall onto the people in the audience. However, the scarecrow exploded, throwing purple goo onto the audience. Silence fell throughout the room, then, one man in a poncho stood and started clapping, followed by the rest of the audience. Marie grinned, surprised and satisfied.

"Take a bow, Sammy." Dean smiled slightly.

~/~\~

Sam and Angela were back behind the stage after killing Calliope.

"Usually, this is when Sam, Dean, and Angela take off, before anyone asks any questions," Maeve commented.

"That's probably a good idea." Angela chuckled.

"Thanks for saving my friends," Maeve added.

"Sure." Sam nodded.

"You know? If you'd cut your hair a little, you'd make a pretty good Dean." Maeve replied.

Angela snorted and Sam pursed his lips tightly.

"Thanks," Sam muttered.

~/~\~

"Well, you did good out there, kid," Dean smirked.

"Hmm, you're not so bad yourself." Marie complimented.

"You know? This has been educational. Seeing the story from your perspective." Dean replied sincerely. "You keep writing, Shakespeare."

"Even if it doesn't match how you see it?" Marie raised a brow.

"I have my version, and you have yours." Dean shrugged.

Suddenly, the stage lights started flickering.

"One minute, folks. One minute." Maeve's voice rang through the headsets.

"Okay." Dean smiled.

"And, Dean? You never should've thrown this away." Marie handed him the Samulet.

Dean stared at it, then tried to give it back. "It never really worked. And, I don't need a symbol to remind me how I feel about my brother, so…"

"Just take it. Jerk." Marie retorted.

"Bitch," Dean replied, quickly realizing he wasn't talking to Sam. "Um…"

Marie laughed at his awkward reaction and Dean rolled his eyes.

"Right. Okay." Dean muttered, walking over to Sam and Angela. "Well, I guess we can go back to staring at motel room walls."

"You know what, Dean? It was good for us, to get back out there." Sam admitted.

On stage, Marie and Siobhan were on stage together.

"We need to get back on the road, Dean. Doing what we do best." Marie said.

"What is that?" Angela asked curiously.

"It's just… I don't know anymore." Siobhan sighed.

"It's the, uh… The B.M. scene." Dean answered.

"Saving people, hunting things. You know? The family business." Marie replied.

Sam's brows furrowed in confusion. "The… bowel movement scene?"

"No! Just… Sh!" Dean hushed.

"You're right, Sammy," Siobhan replied. "Out on the road. You, me, and Angie."

"The three of us against the world." Marie smiled.

"What she said," Sam whispered.

"Carry on my wayward son," the actress playing Mary sang. "There'll be peace when you are done…"

"Lay your weary head to rest…" the actress playing John sang. "Don't you cry no more."

The rest of the cast walked onto the stage, joining in.

"Once I rose above the noise and confusion," the ensemble sang. "Just to get a glimpse behind this illusion. I was soaring ever higher…"

"Who's that?" Sam whispered, nodding to the girl playing Adam.

"Oh, that's Adam. John Winchester's other kid." Maeve answered. "He's still trapped in the cage, in Hell. With Lucifer."

"But I flew too high. Masquerading as a man with the reason." The ensemble continued. "My charade is the event of the season. And if I claim to be a wise man, it surely means I don't know. Carry on my wayward son. There'll be peace when you are done. Lay your weary head to rest, don't you cry no more. Carry on…"

As the song played, the hunters looked on, emotion evident on their faces. Sam wrapped an arm around Angela's waist and pulled her closer. The lights faded while the audience applauded. Marie grinned proudly.

~/~\~

As they sped down the empty road, Dean put the Samulet on Baby's rearview mirror. The hunters looked at each other, smiling softly.


	11. Ask Jeeves Part 1

Dean was tightening a screw on the Impala's headlight. Sam and Angela approached, Sam carrying two tiny cups while Angela held Grace in her arms.

"Hey, yo. Individually brewed." Sam handed one cup to Dean. "Technology, man."

"Real men don't drink out of cups this small," Dean muttered as he smelled the coffee. "What is that, cinnamon roll?

"It's, uh, glazed donut. Look, man if you don't want it, I…" Sam reached for the cup.

"Nah, it's… got it." Dean took a sip of the coffee. "So, any leads on the scanner or the Interweb?"

"Nothing." Angela shook her head. "Not even a cat up a tree."

"So, right when we're ready to jump back into it, it goes, uh—radio silence," Dean grumbled.

"Murphy's law." Sam shrugged.

"Well, Murphy's a douche," Dean muttered. "Hey, you guys feel like taking a detour to Connecticut?"

"What?" Angela's brows furrowed.

Dean held up a cell phone. "Found it while I was dustbusting."

"One of ours?" Sam asked.

"It's one of Bobby's," Dean replied. "And, in total, 27 messages. The only one that counts is from two days ago. Apparently, Bobby's been named a beneficiary in Bunny LaCroix's will."

"Bunny LaWho?" Sam frowned.

"Attorney said she's an heiress and Bobby's presence or next of kin is being requested in New Canaan," Dean explained. "I figure we qualify."

"How did Bobby know an heiress?" Angela inquired.

"Bobby had secrets." Dean shrugged. "Like loving on Tori Spelling. If only he knew Dean cheated on her. Anyway, road trip? Who knows—maybe Bobby earned us some beer money."

"Alright," Angela sighed. "I'll call Jody, see if we can drop Grace off on the way. I think these road trips are tuckering her out."

~/~\~

The Impala sped down the road, then parked in front of Bunny LaCroix's mansion among other very expensive cars.

"Wow," Sam muttered. "Think we're a little under-dressed? I mean the Fed threads are in the trunk."

"You kidding me? For once, we _don't_ have to wear suits." Dean replied as they walked toward the front door. "You're lucky my waist band's not elastic."

Dean pressed the doorbell. Beethoven's Fuer Elise played and Olivia opened the door.

"May I help you?" she asked politely.

"I'm Sam Winchester," he introduced. "This is my wife, Angela, and my brother, Dean. We're here on behalf of Bobby Singer."

Olivia tilted her head slightly. "Mr. Singer won't be coming?"

"No, he passed away," Angela replied softly.

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that." Olivia apologized.

"Uh, condolences for your loss, too," Sam replied.

"Thank you," Olivia replied. "Well, you just missed the funeral, but the family's relaxing inside if you'd like to join."

~/~\~

Olivia led Sam, Dean, and Angela into the billiard room where the LaCroix family was. She cleared her throat.

"Allow me to introduce Sam, Dean, and Angela Winchester," Olivia said.

"Sam, Angela, and Dean Winchester of the Westchester Winchesters?" Heddy perked up.

"Uh, no." Sam shook his head. "I don't think there's…"

"Nah," Dean muttered.

"…Any relation. Sorry." Sam finished.

"No matter," Heddy smirked as she looked the boys over. "You two are adorable."

"Oh." Dean's brows shot up.

"I'm Heddy, Bunny's cousin and this is my sister, Beverly." She introduced.

"Charmed, I'm sure," Beverly smirked.

Heddy indicated to a man playing pool. "And that's Bunny's youngest brother Stanton. Stan for short."

"Come on in, join the mourning," Stanton replied.

"And his child bride… Amber." Heddy sneered.

"Go, Stan!" Amber cheered.

Stanton groaned as he missed the shot. "Babe, don't. You're breaking my concentration."

"And then there's Dash." Heddy continued. "That's the baby of the family. He's Bunny's great-nephew—Harvard business."

"Pleasure to meet you," Dash smirked as he looked Angela over. "How did you three know Aunt Bunny?"

"We, uh…" Dean stumbled over his words.

"We—we—we didn't personally know her. Our—our surrogate dad, Bobby Singer did." Sam explained.

"Bobby?" Beverly asked. "Never heard of him. But you can fill us in over the weekend, huh."

"The weekend?" Dean asked.

"Didn't the attorney tell you? Service was today and the reading of the will tomorrow." Heddy replied.

"Oh, but you're welcome to spend the night. All the rooms sleep two." Beverly added.

"Or three," Heddy smirked as she slapped Dean's bottom.

"Okay," Dean muttered.

"Where's Colette?" Amber asked curiously.

"She quit," Philip replied. "Poor dear was so distraught over Mrs. LaCroix's passing. Went off to find herself."

"Ashram in India?" Heddy asked.

"Uh, clown college in Sarasota." Philip corrected.

"Good choice." Heddy nodded.

"May I have a word with you in the hall in five minutes?" Philip asked the hunters in a hushed whisper.

"Sure." Sam and Angela replied.

"Yeah." Dean nodded.

"So, Sam, tell me… do you work out?" Beverly flirted.

~/~\~

Philip was walking down the hall with an envelope as Dean, Sam, and Angela exited the billiard room into the hall.

"Charmed I'm sure… what are these people?" Dean scoffed.

"I think they're called W.A.S.P.S," Sam replied.

"What?" Dean frowned.

Angela noticed Philip approaching and cleared her throat.

"My apologies for being so oblique back there, but I'm doing you three a favor," Philip noted.

"Okay," Sam replied.

"As you know, Mrs. LaCroix bequeathed something to your Mister Singer," Philip started. "But the reading of the will isn't until tomorrow and I would hate for you to have to stick around and be forced to—well, mingle with the family."

"Don't worry Alfred, we know which one the shrimp fork is. Kind of." Dean shrugged.

"Oh, Mr. Winchester, if you're implying that I don't think you're good enough, it's quite the contrary," Philip replied. "You're far too good. The LaCroix family is… How shall I say this politely? Money grubbing leeches."

Dean's brows furrowed in confusion. "What are you talking about? I thought they were all loaded."

"Loaded—yes; Rich—no," Philip replied. "The recession hit every one of them and I'm afraid if they knew what Bunny left you, those vultures would try to stake claim. And since the attorney kindly agreed to a hand-off, you don't have to be subjected to their scrutiny." He handed the envelope to Dean.

"Do you have any idea how Bunny and Bobby knew each other?" Angela asked.

Olivia entered the hallway quietly.

"Not in the slightest." Philip shook his head. "Um, now if there's nothing else, shall I have Olivia show you out?"

"No, no. That's, uh… we got it. Thanks." Dean replied.

Olivia and Philip headed back down the hall. Dean opened the envelope and pulled out a large jeweled cross on a chain.

"Huh. Kind of fancy to leave a guy like Bobby." Dean commented.

"You thinking what I'm thinking?" Sam asked.

"If Bunny was banging Bobby, then maybe these rocks are real," Dean replied.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela stood in a pawn shop, talking to the clerk.

"What do you mean it's not real?" Dean scoffed. "The old bag was rolling in it."

"Well, looks like the old bag's got a soft spot for fake rubies and cubic zirconium." The clerk explained. "This is interesting, though." He pulled the top of the cross off the necklace. "It's a key."

"A key to what?" Angela frowned.

"There's one way to find out—Ask Jeeves," Dean answered.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela parked the Impala in front of Bunny's mansion and noticed a police car. Sam rang the doorbell and Philip opened the door.

"Everything okay?" Dean quirked a brow curiously.

"Not really," Philip admitted as he held the door open for the hunters to enter.

"Yeah," Dean muttered.

"Thanks." Sam and Angela replied.

"I presume you three left something behind," Philip commented. "I'll check the front closet for burlap."

"I got news for you Mr. Belvedere, the jacket's canvas." Dean retorted.

"You three were here earlier?" Detective Howard walked up.

"Yeah, who wants to know?" Dean frowned.

Detective Howard flashed his badge. "Detective Howard. New Canaan P.D. Congratulations you three, you're now officially murder suspects."

Angela's brows furrowed in confusion. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Yeah, Bunny LaCroix's brother Stanton was killed this evening." Detective Howard explained. "His body's just gone to the morgue."

"And you think…" Dean trailed off.

"I don't know what to think. And that's why you three and anyone else who stepped foot in this house today is being detained for questioning." Detective Howard explained.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela walked into the lounge.

"Beverley, let go of me," Heddy demanded. "It's so obvious she's guilty."

"You're off your rocker, old lady." Dash rolled his eyes.

"Old lady? I…" Heddy trailed off when she noticed Sam and Dean. "I'm 39."

"And you have been since '03." Dash scoffed.

"How—how dare you?" Heddy glared.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but—but who's guilty?" Sam asked curiously.

"The town slut, Amber. She killed Stan." Heddy sneered.

"And what's her motive, Murder She Wrote?" Dash glared icily.

"Oh, everyone knows that Amber was sleeping around." Heddy rolled her eyes. "She wanted to leave Stan but her prenup was ironclad. So, she killed him."

"Sounds logical," Dean muttered.

"Well, unless you believe that ridiculous story that she's been peddling," Heddy noted. "A ghost killed Stanton. Honestly."

"Uh, a ghost?" Angela tilted her head.

"She's claiming that Bunny's late husband, Lance did it," Heddy explained. "Have you ever heard such a thing? What a panic! So stupid."

"You're nutty as a squirrel on those synthetic hormones." Dash shook his head.

"Nutty? How appalling of you." Heddy scoffed incredulously. "Don't they teach you manners in Harvard?"

"So, uh…" Dean muttered.

"Looks like we might have a case here," Angela whispered. "Vengeful spirit?"

"Yeah." Dean nodded. "Think we can get to the car, get the EMF?"

"Not with, uh, Detective Friendly. Not a chance." Sam shook his head. "Guess we're gonna have to go old school."

"Alright, cold spots it is." Dean sighed.

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"You guys stay here," Dean instructed. "Keep an eye on Mrs. Peacock and Colonel Mustard. I'll sniff around."

"Alright," Sam replied.

Dean walked out of the room and Beverly waved at Sam, smirking flirtatiously.

"For your information, I already own a big, beautiful yacht." Heddy boasted.

"Oh, is that what you call that thing?" Dash tilted his head.

"Fine, it's a mahogany sunfish," Heddy muttered.

~/~\~

Dean walked down an upstairs hallway and peered into the helmet of a suit of armor.

~/~\~

"Hey." Angela greeted as she and Sam walked over to Dash. "Got to say, for a family that just lost two members, you all seem… fine."

"Well, Angela, I'll let you two in on a little family secret," Dash replied. "We don't really like each other. Then again, what family does?"

"Mine does." Sam took Angela's hand in his. "It's just my brother, my wife, our daughter, and me, so…"

"Then you're lucky," Dash replied. "Trust me, it's a miracle we've been under the same roof for 24 hours and haven't… Oops," he chuckled. "My bad."

"And, uh—why are you so sure Amber didn't do it?" Angela asked curiously.

"Because Amber's not a killer. She has trouble using WiFi. I don't exactly think she's capable of murder." Dash replied.

~/~\~

Dean walked down another hallway past a bedroom to where the outline of Stanton's body and head were. He noticed a book in a bookcase with a cross that matched the necklace on the cover. He pulled out the book and the bookcase opened, revealing a hidden door.

~/~\~

"And her story about the ghost?" Sam asked.

"I don't believe in ghosts," Dash replied. "That said, if anyone would come back to haunt, it's Uncle Lance. Heard he was a real bastard. No one really mourned his death except Aunt Bunny who became a recluse after he died. So, maybe the old goat has a chip on his shoulder. Who the hell knows?"

Detective Howard walked into the lounge with Amber. "Dash, you're up."

~/~\~

Dean pulled the key from the cross necklace and used it to open the secret door behind the bookcase. As he entered, he picked up a pipe and then some rope. Holding the pipe, Dean climbed the stairs and switched on his flashlight as he entered the attic. He noticed a rolled up rug with feet sticking out, then heard footsteps.

"Dean?" Olivia whispered.

"Olivia?" Dean frowned.

"Thank God! I thought you were him." She gasped.

"Him—who?" Dean's brows furrowed.

"Philip, the butler," Olivia replied. "He locked me in here because I wouldn't lie to the detective about what I saw."

"What did you see?" Dean questioned.

"I saw him roll Colette's body in a rug," Olivia answered.

"Clown college Colette? The butler killed her?" Dean asked.

"No, no." Olivia shook her head. "He just—he just hid her."

"Then who killed her?" Dean asked.

"I know this is gonna sound crazy, but I saw it with my own eyes," Olivia replied.

"Let me guess—Lance's ghost." Dean guessed.

Olivia frowned, confused. "No—Bunny's."

~/~\~

Sam and Angela were playing cards with Heddy and Beverly when Dean and Olivia walked in.

"You know what, uh, excuse us," Sam said politely.

"No, no, stay." Beverly tried to stop him.

Angela took Sam's hand and lead him over to Dean.

"Hey." She greeted. "So?"

"You seen the butler?" Dean asked.

Sam's brows furrowed. "No. Why?"

"'Cause if anybody has answered, it's him," Dean replied. "We're dealing with two vengeful spirits. Apparently, Aunt Bunny had a bee in her bonnet as well."

"Uh, husband and wife tag-team killer ghosts?" Sam frowned deeply.

"Well, got to keep the marriage alive somehow." Dean shrugged. "The key is to a hidden attic."

"Why would Bunny want Bobby to have a key to her attic?" Angela questioned.

"I don't know." Dean sighed. "It gets weirder. I found Olivia and Colette locked inside."

"Clown college Colette?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, but she ain't studying balloon animals. She's dead." Dean replied.

"Now, what does the butler have to do with all this?" Angela muttered.

"He's the one who locked them in there." Dean shrugged. "Now I don't know why, but he's covering for the spooks. He's acting like their Renfield."

"Alright, we've got to find him," Sam replied. "I'll take upstairs. You and Angie takedown here."

"Alright." Dean nodded.

~/~\~

Sam headed upstairs just as Detective Howard started looking for him.

"Sam Winchester!" he called, causing Sam to hurry down the hall. "Where did you run off to?"

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Beverly smirked. "Watcha doing, snooping around these halls, hmmm?"

"Uh…" Sam stumbled.

"Up to no good?" Beverly tilted her head. "Why don't we get up to no good together? You know they say women just get better with age. Like a fine wine or—or cheese."

"Uh, I—I, uh—I'm lactose intolerant. And married." Sam stammered. "So…"

"Oh, come on, Sammy. Don't be coy." Beverly chastised. "We have a good ten minutes before my interrogation. And I bet a young buck like you can do a lot in ten minutes. Your wife will never know."

Sam pursed his lips. "I'm right behind you."

Beverly sauntered into the bedroom. "Right behind me, oh. Could you give me a hand with this zipper? I always have such a hard time…"

While Beverly was distracted, Sam took his chance and rushed down the hall.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela were on the first floor and found the door to the butler's quarters. Dean picked up a large wrench and he and Angela entered.

"Uh, leaky faucet's down the hall," Philip commented.

"Cut the crap, Wadsworth." Dean glared. "What are doing hiding dead maids in secret rooms?"

Philip sighed heavily. "I know it all looks rather peculiar, but I can explain."

~/~\~

Sam walked into the kitchen and frowned when he saw blood on the floor. He grabbed a knife and found Philip's dead body with a knife sticking out of his back. Sam immediately pulled out his cell phone.


	12. Ask Jeeves Part 2

"So, you hid Colette's body in the attic so that she wouldn't steal Bunny's thunder?" Dean questioned.

"I couldn't stand the thought of overshadowing Mrs. LaCroix's funeral with another death," Philip explained. "She deserved a proper farewell. I owed it to her."

"Well, that's crazy," Angela replied.

"No, Mrs. Winchester, that's loyalty." Philip corrected.

Dean received a text from Sam saying, 'Just found Philip. Dead.' Dean slipped his phone to Angela so that she could read it. The hunters turned toward Philip and Philip threw them across the room. Dean helped Angela up and noticed a pile of clothes and skin by the door. He took his phone back from Angela and dialed.

 _"Dean."_ Sam greeted.

"Sam," Dean replied quickly.

 _"Yeah?"_ Sam asked.

"It's no ghost," Dean stressed.

 _"What?"_ Sam responded, clearly confused.

"It's a shapeshifter."

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela stood near Philip's body past the kitchen.

"So, the shifter's getting its jollies by impersonating dead people," Sam commented.

"Yeah." Dean nodded. "First Bunny, then Lance, now Philip. Guess we can rule out 'the butler did it.'"

Sam, Dean, and Angela walked back into the kitchen.

"And the creep just shed so now it could be anybody," Sam replied. "Even you. Or Angie."

"Or you." Angela retorted. "We need to find some silver."

Olivia walked in and saw Philip, her eyes widening. "Oh my God!"

"Hey, hey," Angela shushed. "He was like that when we found him."

"Who did this?" Olivia asked frantically.

"We don't know yet, okay?" Sam replied. "Now, listen. Calm down. I know you think he was working with ghosts but there's something way worse going on here."

"Worse that… What is going on?" Olivia frowned deeply.

"If you want to help, then help. Can you do that?" Dean raised a brow.

Olivia opened up a silverware case. "Why do you need the silverware?"

"For protection," Sam answered.

"Butter knives?" Olivia tilted her head.

"Trust us," Angela replied. "There's a method to our madness."

Sam handed a silver knife to Olivia. "Can you—uh—hold this?" he asked before picking up two more knives and handing them to Dean and Angela. "Dean. Angie. Alright." Sam picked up another knife. "Let's do this."

~/~\~

Beverly and Heddy sat on the couch in the lounge scrolling through men's pictures on a dating app.

"No—No—No—No! Ugh!" Beverly groaned.

"Wait, wait, wait," Heddy stopped her. "Go back. He owned an island."

"And a harelip," Beverly muttered.

"Who cares if he's ugly if you're drinking Mai Tai's in the lap of luxury?" Heddy scoffed.

"Hey," Sam walked in. "Hey, ladies."

"Hi." Heddy greeted.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked curiously.

"Trying to find Beverly a man," Heddy answered.

"I've resorted to fishing online because the lives ones won't bite." Beverly pouted.

"You mean back there?" Sam asked. "I—I was just playing hard to get."

"Well, then… you're a very convincing actor." Beverly motioned for Sam to sit on the couch. "Come."

"Sure. Alright." Sam walked over to the couch.

Beverly pushed Heddy over. "Sit here. Yes."

Sam sat in between the women. He had a silver butter knife under his shirt cuff to the underside of his right hand. He put his hand on Beverly's bare leg.

"Boo," Heddy pouted. "I'm feeling so left out."

"Well, then, uh, come on in darling. Water's warm." Sam flited.

Sam had another silver knife under his shirt cuff to the underside of his left hand. He put his arm around Heddy with his hand on her bare shoulder.

"Oh. Oh, yes." Heddy smiled.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela walked into the billiard-room. They were about to exit when they heard something in the closet. Dean took two silver candlesticks and handed one to Angela before opening the door to find Amber and Dash kissing.

"Really?" Dean deadpanned.

"We can explain," Amber replied.

"Let me guess," Angela started. "You two got bored last Christmas."

"New Canaan clambake, actually." Dash corrected. "We were in line at the buffet, they ran out of steamers. One thing led to another, and, well…"

"But we didn't kill Stanton," Amber stressed.

"We may be guilty of cheating but not murder," Dash added.

Dean pulled two silver butter knives out of his pocket. "Touch these."

Dash frowned, confused. "What? Why?"

"Do it or I go cards up on your whole clambake." Dean threatened.

Dash and Amber touched the knives and nothing happened.

"Did… we pass?" Amber asked.

"Yep. Don't worry, your secret is safe with us." Dean replied. "Come on, you two."

~/~\~

Sam was still sitting between Beverly and Heddy on the couch. Beverly was touching his hair while Heddy was touching his fingers.

"Did you see how long his fingers are?" Heddy asked.

"There… There's just…" Sam stumbled.

"First of all, did you see this? Look how long…" Heddy continued.

Suddenly, Dean and Angela appeared in the doorway. Angela covered her mouth, stifling her laughter.

"Should we come back when you're done?" Dean raised a brow.

"Oh, they're—my wife…" Sam stumbled, getting off the couch.

"And it's all going to hell, right here, right now," Dean muttered as Sam walked over.

"Sorry to interrupt, babe." Angela teased, a smirk gracing her lips.

"Pfft. Gray Gardens cleared." Sam muttered, wrapping an arm around Angela.

"Okay, well, so are Dash and Amber," Angela replied. "They're a thing, by the way."

"Y—

"Yeah, W.A.S.P.S," Dean replied.

"Well, so that's everyone. Except for…" Sam trailed off as they heard Olivia scream.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela reached Olivia down the hall. She was pointing to the bathroom, shaking visibly. The three hunters entered the bathroom and saw Detective Howard, dead with his head in the toilet. Everyone else stood in the doorway.

"Well, we got a floater," Dean commented.

"Great." Sam sighed heavily as everyone else came into the bathroom.

"Yeah, he's a goner." Angela felt for Detective Howard's pulse.

"Drowned in a toilet?" Heddy cringed. "How filthy."

"What kind of monster would do such a thing?" Beverly asked as she and Heddy turned to Olivia.

"Don't look at me," Olivia replied with wide eyes. "I was just trying to pee."

"Okay, hold on," Dean cut in. "Before we start pointing fingers…"

"Amber has motive." Heddy interrupted. "She killed the detective because she knew that it was just a matter of time before he figured out she killed Stan."

"Bravo Rizzoli!" Dash clapped. "You solved the case. Want to weight in too, Isles?"

"I didn't kill Stanton or the detective. And I have proof." Amber piped up.

"Okay, guys…" Sam cut in.

"My alibi is in this room." Amber continued.

"Ooh, wait for it," Dean muttered.

"Amber couldn't have killed the detective 'cause she was with me. We're in love." Dash revealed.

"We're sleeping together." Amber corrected.

"I knew it." Beverly scoffed.

"Well, then you have motive, too," Heddy added. "You offed Stan because you were diddling his wife."

"Oh. The old lady doth protest too much." Dash mocked. "You're only pointing the finger to distract from your own guilt. And you probably got Baby Jane to help."

"Well, I never!" Beverly gasped. "I'm leaving."

"Alright, hang on." Dean stopped her. "First of all, who talks like that? Second of all, no one's leaving, okay?"

Beverly grabbed Dean. "Ooh, get your hands off me, young man."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Okay, see—I don't trust anyone. And leaving just makes you look guilty."

"Ohhh." Beverly nodded.

"Dean is right, okay. We have four corpses now." Angela explained.

"Four corpses?" Amber frowned.

"Yes." Dean sighed. "You can add Philip and Colette to the list."

"Clown college Colette?" Heddy's brows furrowed. "But I thought she…"

"She's dead!" Dean snapped. "Alright, she's dead."

"And we can't help you unless you stop arguing with one another," Sam added. "You need to trust us."

"Trust you?" Dash scoffed. "Uh, we don't even know you. Look buddy, I'm trying to be objective here, but we've had countless family functions before, and even though we _wanted_ to kill one another, we never did."

"Dash is right." Heddy agreed. "Our get-togethers never end in murder. The only thing different this time around is you."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa," Angela frowned. "First of all, whoa. Whatever you're suggesting…"

Dash grabbed the detective's gun and pointed it at the hunters. "You three! Let's go. Don't even think about it. I… hunt pheasant. Sit tight until the cops get here."

"You don't want to do this," Dean stressed. "We are your best shot at making it out of here alive."

Sam stood protectively in front of Angela. "We're not the bad guys, Dash."

"I beg to differ. You're wearing flannel." Dash replied before shutting and locking the door.

"Hey!" Dean tried to open the door.

He took a silver butter knife and tried to force the door open. Sam and Angela were rifling through one of the drawers.

"Hey. Keys." Sam grabbed them.

"No, it's locked from the outside." Dean shook his head.

"Are you kidding?" Angela groaned. "Great."

Dean stopped trying to force the door open with the silver butter knife and noticed that the knife was bent. "Made in Taiwan. Freaking stainless steel."

"So, that's why no one sizzled? They're not even real silver?" Sam questioned.

"First cubic zirconium and now this." Dean scoffed. "No wonder the rich stay rich. How are we gonna kill this thing?"

"You know, we got silver bullets in the trunk." Angela reminded.

"Yeah, assuming we ever make it out of here," Dean muttered.

~/~\~

In the locked room, Sam and Angela saw Olivia with the gun on the security feed.

"Dean," Angela called out. "You gotta see this."

Dean walked over and frowned deeply. "We got played by the maid." He muttered before throwing himself against the door. "Both doors are reinforced."

Sam opened up one of the cabinets. "Gun safe."

"Hey," Angela tossed the keys to Sam. "Try these."

Sam opened the gun safe and took out one of the guns. He pointed it at the locked door, shooting at the lock.

~/~\~

Sam and Dean entered the lounge and Olivia shot at him before running out a different door as the rest of the family cowered.

"Stay here," Sam instructed before he and Dean followed Olivia.

~/~\~

Sam and Dean walked into the kitchen and Olivia fired a few shots at them. The brothers ducked down behind the kitchen island.

"You don't have a clear shot," Olivia noted.

"Neither do you." Sam countered.

"Killing you two is the next best thing to killing Bobby Singer." Olivia seethed.

"What's your beef with Bobby?" Dean demanded.

"For starters, he killed my father," Olivia replied.

"Lance was a shifter?" Sam's brows furrowed.

"Lance wasn't my father," Olivia replied. "Mother had an affair with a shifter. She got pregnant, told Lance I was his. He bought it… until she brought me back from the hospital. My real dad was waiting." She explained. "Lance put up a fight, but he was no match for a shifter. And just as my dad was about to take me… the hunter became the hunted."

"Bobby." Dean realized.

"After Bobby killed my father, he came after me," Olivia recalled. "Mother pleaded with him to spare me. He agreed, under one condition."

"That she keep you locked up," Sam replied.

"For my safety, and the safety of others." Olivia rolled her eyes. "Mother told the family she lost the baby. And she locked me in the attic. But she remained devoted to me until the very end—Even got Bobby to promise to take care of me if anything happened to her."

"Wait a minute," Dean frowned. "Then, Bobby spared you. You should be grateful."

"For what?" Olivia sneered. "Keeping me locked up my whole life? It would have been kinder to kill me."

"Olivia… you don't have to do this." Same replied. "Being a monster is a choice."

"That choice was made for me a long time ago." Olivia shook her head. "Why haven't you taken a shot? Oh, you don't have silver bullets, do you?"

Olivia was now pointing the gun directly at Sam and Dean. Suddenly, she was shot from behind by Angela. After she dropped, Angela shot her seven more times.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, Angela, and the family were walking out the front door. Dash was talking on his cell phone.

"Yes, officer. Yes, thank you very much. Yes, no you can't miss it. Big house on the end of the street. Alright, bye now." He hung up and walked over to the hunters. "Guys? Police are on their way. What a mess. I owe you three an apology."

"Don't sweat it," Sam replied. "I mean, you were just protecting your family and… there's nothing wrong with that."

"So, I spoke to Aunt Bunny's attorney," Dash added. "He said outside from the pendant, everything was left to Olivia."

"Hey, you know what? Speaking of that… you guys should keep it." Dean handed the pendant to Dash. "It's a key to the attic."

"Bobby must have really meant something to Aunt Bunny," Dash muttered. "How can we repay you?"

"You know what?" Angela sighed. "Just forget we were ever here."

"But you saved our lives," Dash argued. "I want everyone to know what heroes you…"

"Look, pal, the fact that we pulled your bacon out of the fire is nobody's business." Dean interrupted. "Okay? Hey. I'm serious Izod. Put a pin in it. Or we'll come back for your preppy ass."

Sam, Dean, and Angela got into the Impala and sped off. Sam had an arm draped around Angela's shoulders.

"Angie, what was that all about back there?" Sam asked, brows furrowed.

"What are you talking about?" Angela replied.

"He means… all those extra shots after the shifter was already dead," Dean noted. "What was that?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "Target practice?"

"Come on, babe." Sam sighed. "I'm serious. You sure it wasn't… I don't know, demon residue or something to do with the mark, or…"

"No. No, none of that." Angela assured.

"Right." Sam pursed his lips. "Look, baby, I got to be honest…"

"Oh my God, Sam." Angela huffed. "It was my first kill since I've been back. You know, I got a little anxious. I wanted to make sure it was done right—plain and simple. It's… Why am I even explaining this to you?"

"Angie, I…" Sam stopped himself, shook his head, and looked out the window.


	13. Girls, Girls, Girls Part 1

Sam, Dean, and Angela sat at a restaurant, on their way to pick up Grace. Dean was looking at his phone while eating french fries and Sam and Angela read a paper.

"What? This?" Sam's brows furrowed. "Um, cattle deaths a few towns over? A demon possibility or something?"

"No, it says right here. It's probably just 'cause of the drought." Dean shrugged.

"So, what are we doing here?" Angela asked. "We need to pick up Grace, Dean."

Dean pointed to their plates with his fork. "Uh, reason's right on your plate. Lizardo's porterhouse—U.S.D.A. prime." He explained as his cell phone chimed. "It's the only place between Connecticut and the bunker where you can get a decent steak under 10 bucks." He added as his cell phone chimed again.

Sam leaned over to look toward Dean's phone. "Dude, you are blowing up. Who is that?"

"Ah, it's just, uh, you know, these alert thingies," Dean mumbled.

"For what?" Angela asked curiously.

"You know, monster… stuff." Dean shrugged.

Sam and Angela shared a look and Sam smirked, grabbing Dean's cell phone.

"Hey, hey!" Dean exclaimed. "Unh-unh. No. Give it back."

Sam held Dean's cell phone against his chest. "What? Wh-why?"

"Because of privacy… And stuff." Dean argued.

"Oh, priv—

Sam looked down at the cell phone and chuckled, showing Angela.

"You're on a dating app?" Angela's brows shot up.

"Yeah, and you know what? Don't knock it until you try it." Dean grumbled.

"Nice screen name, Dean—Impala67." Sam's voice deepened mockingly.

Dean reached across the table for the phone. "Alright, give it back. Come on."

"Shaylene, huh?" Angela smirked.

"Dean, there are like a million messages here," Sam added.

"Yeah, uh, check out her pic," Dean smirked slightly.

"Uh… Oh. Wow. Okay." Sam's brows shot up. "Um, okay…"

"Babe, let's be real here, she's hot." Angela shrugged. "But, Dean—

"But, what?" Dean's brows furrowed.

"But she seems, um… Kind of… available." Angela continued. "Like, _too_ available. "Oh, baby, whatever you want. I'm burning up just thinking about you."

"They get raunchier." Dean chuckled.

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "Yeah, we—we see that. It's like a, uh—like a Penthouse letter."

"Yeah. Is that bad?" Dean asked.

"No, it's not bad, Dean." Angela sighed. "It's too good to be true."

Dean's face scrunched up in offense. "I'm sorry, is it—is it so hard to believe that an attractive, red-blooded, American female could be interested in someone like me?"

"You realize there's no guarantee 'Shaylene' is even Shaylene," Sam replied. "I mean, for all you know, it could be some… Canadian trucker n-named Bruce."

Suddenly, Sam and Angela got distracted by something behind Dean. Shaylene, wearing a deep purple dress, walked in and smiled at Dean. Dean looked over his shoulder and smiled, waving at Shaylene. He turned back to Sam and Angela.

"That look like a Bruce to you?" Dean smirked, getting up from his chair.

"We—we detoured eight hours so you could get laid?" Sam scoffed.

"Yeah. Yeah." Dean nodded. "Oh, and, uh, you know what? Lunch is on me." He set a few bills down. "And, uh… don't wait up, kids."

Dean walked over to Shaylene, who appeared to be talking with another woman, and put his arm around her waist.

"Excuse me. Hi." Dean smiled.

"Hey." Shaylene grinned.

Dean and Shaylene turned to walk out of the restaurant and looked over his shoulder, grinning boyishly at Sam and Angela.

"I can't believe him." Sam chuckled, shaking his head.

Angela nodded in agreement and smirked up at her husband, resting a hand on his thigh. "You know… this is the first time it's been just you and me in a while…"

"What're you saying, Mrs. Winchester?" Sam smirked back at her.

"I say," Angela leaned in closer. "Let's go back to our motel room."

~/~\~

Dean was slammed up against the motel room wall. Shaylene moved in and unbuttoned Dean's shirt as she kissed him deeply.

"I forgot something," she pulled away. "We still need to discuss my terms."

"Oh, like rules? Like, sexy rules?" Dean smirked.

"Um, more an issue of payment." She corrected.

"Oh." Dean nodded.

"Yeah." Shaylene moved away from Dean and turned her back to him. "Sweetie," she laughed. "I thought you figured it out. I mean, shy of coming out and saying it, I thought I made it pretty obvious."

"Yeah, yeah, no." Dean nodded. "I-I just, uh… See, I have this code. Uh, 'No cash for ass.'"

Shaylene turned back to face Dean. "Oh, well you're in luck, honey, 'cause I don't want your money. All I want from you is one little thing—a trifle, really."

"I'm listening," Dean replied.

"Your soul." Shaylene purred.

"My soul?" Dean raised his brows.

Shaylene laughed. "It's nothing, baby. Who knows what a soul is, really," She added, earning an eye roll from Dean. "If it even exists? All I know is you say yes, my guy comes up, you sign some papers, and then it's you and me—good to go."

"Mm." Dean moved away from the wall and Shaylene. "So, that's it? Just sign over my life?"

"It's just a signature, baby." She shrugged. "What's a little paperwork compared to absolute physical bliss?"

"Well, you make a strong case." Dean turned to face her.

"I love my job." She replied with a sultry smirk.

"Do you?" Dean tilted his head.

Shaylene looked slightly nervous at this point. "Yeah."

"'Cause it doesn't look like love to me," Dean replied, pursing his lips.

~/~\~

A man walked into Dean and Shaylene's motel room, eyeing the two. "How're we doing?"

Dean and Shaylene were sitting on opposite corners of the hotel bed, backs to each other.

"Everybody ready for a good time?" the man walked further into the room and pulled a blue paper out of his jacket pocket. "Okay. John Hancock right here. Then we can get this party started."

Dean stood up and faced the man as Sam and Angela walked into the room and stood next to Dean, who had an angel blade in his hand.

"Winchesters." The man snarled.

The three hunters looked up toward the ceiling. The man followed their gaze and saw a red devil's trap painted on the ceiling directly over him.

"She told us everything." Dean glared.

"Abduction, forced prostitution—it's pretty gnarly, even for a demon," Sam added.

"She's got her version, I've got mine." The man replied.

"Liar." Shaylene scoffed.

"Let me guess—she came to you begging for you to pimp her out." Dean retorted sarcastically.

"Yeah, 'cause that Harvard degree was working out so well for her." The man sassed.

"How many girls are there, hmm?" Angela questioned. "How big is this?"

"Just me and Shay." The man replied.

"He's lying." Shaylene cut in. "There's a brothel. I heard him on the phone. They told me what you are—a demon from Hell."

"Beats trash from the street." The man sneered. "Face it, missy—without me, you would've been dead of drugs or worse in a year. Frankly, this little hoe should be thanking me."

Shaylene grabbed the blade from Dean, jumped up from the bed and stabbed the demon.

"Whoa!" Dean exclaimed as the demon fell to the floor, dead.

"Okay," Angela blinked a few times in shock. "Well, that just happened."

"Yeah, and he was our best shot at the location of the brothel," Sam replied before turning to Shaylene. "Do you have any idea where it is?"

"No, but, um…" Shaylene trailed off.

She walked over to the dead demon, reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out a business card, and handed it to Dean.

"I saw him give these out at bars."


	14. Girls, Girls, Girls Part 2

Sam, Dean, and Angela walked into the bar, only to find Gerald dead on the floor and Raul laying in a puddle of black goop.

"Can't believe somebody got to kill this Raul tool before we could," Dean muttered. "Check I.D.s."

"Alright." Sam nodded.

Sam and Angela knelt down by the bodies while Dean went behind the bar and poured himself a drink.

"Uh, Dean, from the look and… smell of it, pure demon," Angela explained. "I think this is Raul."

"What? Did he puke himself to death?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, literally," Sam muttered.

"Okay, so… Something went down here. There was a standoff." Dean commented. "One demon smokes out and Raul… What can even kill a demon like this?"

"Apparently…" Sam reached by Raul's hand and picked up a hex bag. "A witch."

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were driving in the Impala later that night.

"Here we go," Sam started. "Um, so it looks like in the 18th century, there were accounts of demons killed by witchcraft. Apparently, they were vanquished by a spell called defigere et depurgare which is Latin for 'to bind and purge.'"

"You think that's the same kind of spell that took out Raul?" Angela asked.

"Sounds like it," Sam confirmed. "But from what I can tell, that spell hasn't been used in over 300 years. And it was only ever known by one person, the witch who created it."

"That is?" Dean raised a brow.

"Rowena," Sam answered.

~/~\~

Dean, dressed in his FBI apparel, was talking to one of the waiters at the restaurant.

"Middle of my shift, there's Marty falling down, clutching his head, stroking out right there on the floor, sweating, turning red, like… like…"

"Like his brains were boiling?" Dean finished. "Was there anything else unusual?"

"More unusual than our head waiter dropping dead in front of me?" the waiter retorted.

"Before that," Dean replied.

"I don't know," the waiter shrugged. "I mean, I thought getting two hookers in here was pretty damn unusual, but that was before Marty keeled over."

"Uh, two hookers?" Dean's brows furrowed.

"Based on what they were wearing, yeah." The waiter chuckled.

"Were they alone?" Dean questioned.

"No," he shook his head. "Came in with a lady."

"Thank you for your time," Dean replied.

~/~\~

Sam and Angela were in their FBI apparel, sitting at an outside table. Sam had his phone on speaker.

"No, that is strange. Alright, I hear you. Thank you." Sam said before hanging up.

"Hey," Dean approached the couple. "So, it looks like our witch was here with two new friends."

"Really? Raul's girls?" Angela asked. "What does she want with them?"

"I don't know," Dean admitted. "What'd you guys get from the Hunter network?"

"This guy Darrell's been working a case, a series of grisly hotel murders one at the Kensington, another at the Waldorf in Cleveland—bodies stabbed, impaled on the ceiling," Sam explained.

"Sounds a little more homicidal maniac than witchy," Dean replied.

"That's what Darrell thought, too, until the autopsy came back," Angela explained. "Actual cause of death—

"Let me guess—boiled brains." Dean interrupted.

"Yeah, same as our waiter." Sam sighed.

"Well, I'll give this to the witch—she's got deep pockets," Dean replied. "The Kensington, the Waldorf, this restaurant—that can't be cheap."

"Yeah." Angela agreed. "Let's go."

"Where are we going?" Dean's brows furrowed.

"Check out every five-star hotel in the area," Sam explained.

"Oh." Dean nodded.

~/~\~

The female demon faced forward and turned right into Sam, Dean, and Angela. Dean stabbed the demon in the stomach with his angel blade, causing the demon to fall to the floor, dead. Rowena and the two women ran to the end of the hallway while the male demon through Dean and Angela to the ground. Sam fought with the demon and was thrown to the ground. Angela came up behind the demon and stabbed him in the back with the angel blade. The three hunters moved down the hallway to the women as Rowena removed her gag.

"Who are those people?" Caitlin asked.

"Hunters," Rowena answered.

"Let's get out of here!" Elle replied.

"That's not an exit." Rowena shook her head.

"Don't worry, ladies," Dean said suddenly. "Our beef's not with you. We're here for the witch. Rowena."

"Always nice to be recognized," Rowena replied.

"Do something—a spell!" Elle exclaimed.

Rowena looked toward the blonde woman and placed a hex bag in her hand. "That's an excellent idea. Impetus bestiarum."

Suddenly, Elle bent over with her head down and screamed.

"What did you do to her?" Angela demanded.

Rowena laughed as the blonde woman lifted up her head. Her eyes were red and blood dripped from her nose. She snarled and punched Dean in the head, then Sam and Angela. The three hunters fell to the floor. Rowena and Caitlin ran past them down the hallway and the three hunters got up to face Elle.

"Go! Go!" Sam told Dean and Angela.

Elle advanced toward Sam as Dean and Angela followed Rowena and Caitlin.

~/~\~

"Not another word!" Dean yelled.

Dean and Angela had their guns pointed to the back of Rowena's head. She turned to face the two hunters.

"Lady, your luck has run out." Angela glared.

"I'm pretty sure that's not true." Rowena laughed.

There was a whistle and Dean and Angela turned to see Cole holding a gun on Angela.

"Man, we got to work on your timing." Angela groaned.

"Drop the gun, Angela." Cole glared.

"Alright, she may not look like much, but letting this one go—big mistake," Angela stressed.

"Uh-huh." Cole nodded.

"You heard the boy." Rowena chimed in.

Dean and Angela dropped their guns to the ground. Rowena smirked and walked away. The two hunters turned to face Cole, and Dean stood protectively next to Angela.

"Look, I am so sorry about the last time we met, okay?" Angela apologized. "I'm sorry about a lot of things. I'm not the same person that I was."

"You're not a person at all." Cole sneered. "See, I know all about your kind now."

"My kind?" Angela frowned. "Listen—

Cole threw holy water in Angela's face and looked confused when she didn't react.

"She's not a demon anymore," Dean noted.

Cole glared at Angela. "So, were you a demon when you murdered my father?"

"No." Angela shook her head.

"Then you're still a monster." He seethed.

Cole hit Angela in the face with his gun and Dean immediately went into defense mode.

"Hey!" Dean snapped angrily.

Dean grabbed Cole's hands to control the gun. They struggled for a bit and Dean grabbed the gun, throwing it to the side, and punched Cole in the face.

"Let's go." Cole raised his hands to fight.

~/~\~

Elle hit the door of the closet with her hands and body while Sam was on the other side, trying to keep her inside.

"Let… Me… Out!" she roared.

"Look… Whatever she did to you, you have to fight it." Sam stressed.

"I… Can't!" she screamed.

~/~\~

Dean threw Cole to the ground, who made a move to grab his gun. Angela kicked it away, grabbed her gun, and pointed it at Cole.

"Don't," she warned.

~/~\~

Sam leaned against the closet door as Elle tried to break it down. He drew his gun and aimed it at the door. Sam waited several seconds and the banging stopped. He opened the door and saw Elle, bleeding from her eyes and nose. Her skin was white and her eyes were wide open. She fell to the floor, dead.

~/~\~

"What are you waiting for?" Cole questioned. "Do it."

"No." Angela shook her head. "Now, I'm gonna clean this mess up once and for all. You're gonna give me five minutes, and we're gonna talk. Get up." She added. "After that… If you don't like what you hear…" she handed her gun to Cole. "You still want me dead, you take your shot."

"Angie—

"Dean," Angela held up a hand to silence him.

Cole took the gun and pointed it toward Angela.

"What I do… What we do… is hunt monsters. Your dad, Cole—your dad was a monster." She explained.

"Yeah, you say that now, but last time we fought, you couldn't even remember his name." Cole seethed.

"2001, Nyack, New York, Ed Trenton," she recalled. "I was working a case. Three dead—livers ripped out and eaten by your father."

"Livers?" Cole frowned.

"Yes, and I tracked him down that night to your house," Angela added.

"Well, you say he was a monster." Cole pursed his lips. "What kind of monster was he?"

"I don't know," Angela admitted. "Never seen that kind before, never seen it again. All I know is that he came home that night looking to kill—could've been you, could've been your mom."

"No." Cole shook his head.

"The only reason that didn't happen is that I was there to stop him."

"I heard his voice," Cole argued. "It was a human voice, and he begged you to stop!"

"It's a ploy. It's a monster's trick." Angela explained. "I know what you heard, but know this—that was _not_ your father, Cole. Your father was already gone." She added, looking over Cole's shoulder. "Put it down. Sam, put it down!"

Cole turned to see Sam aiming a gun at him. Cole aimed his gun at Sam.

"Cole, it's fine," Angela assured.

"Angie? Dean?" Sam asked.

"Put it down!" Angela snapped.

Sam lowered his gun and Cole turned his gun back toward Angela.

"Cole, hey, right here. We were talking, okay?" Angela reminded.

"How can I believe you, huh? How can I believe you?!" he shouted. "My whole life, I've been…"

"I get it. That was your story." Angela sympathized. "Look, I got one of those, too. Okay, but those stories that we tell to keep us going? Sometimes they blind us. They take us to dark places—the kind of place where I might beat the crap out of a good man just for the fun of it." She explained. "The people who love me, they pulled me back from that edge. Cole, once you touch that darkness… It never goes away. Now, the truth is… I'm past saving." Angela's voice cracked slightly. "I know how my story ends. It's at the edge of a blade or the barrel of a gun. So, the question is, is that gonna be today? That gonna be that gun?"

"You've got a family, Cole." Sam piped up. "I heard you on the phone that night. I'm guessing they need you to come back, and they need you to come back whole."

Cole, with tears streaming down his face, handed Angela back her gun.

~/~\~

"He say where he was going?" Sam asked as Cole drove off.

"Home," Angela answered.

"Rowena?" Sam asked.

"In the wind." Dean sighed.

Sam nodded and paused for a moment. "Angie, what you said earlier, back there, about being past saving—were you really—

"I was just telling the guy what he needed to hear." Angela shrugged. "We better go. We need to get Gracie."


	15. Hibbing 911 Part 1

_Lebanon, Kansas_

Sam walked into the library carrying his laptop. Angela and Dean were already sitting at the table, having been ensconced for what seemed to be a number of hours.

"Hey," Sam greeted, pecking Angela on the cheek. "We good?"

"Aces," Dean mumbled. "Yeah, I love the smell of parchment in the morning."

"I mean, how much lore is even left?" Sam sighed. "We've got nothing on the mark?"

"Right? You'd think these eggheads, with all the crap they amassed over the years, would have actually collected something important." Angela muttered. "Uh, here. 'He-wolf/She-wolf: A Study in Werewolf Transgenderism.' 600 pages, volume 1. But, uh, not something important, like—I don't know—maybe the _oldest_ symbol known to man. That's not worth our time. It's not weird enough."

~/~\~

Sam perked up as his cell phone started ringing. "Jody," he answered. "How's it going?"

 _"Oh, you know,"_ Jody's voice rang through. _"Having the time of my life at a sheriff's retreat in Hibbing."_

"Wow. Sounds like a blast." Sam chuckled as Dean and Angela waved at the phone. "Uh, Dean and Angie say hi."

 _"How's she doing?"_ Jody asked softly.

"Good," Sam replied. "Better. You know, hold on a sec, I'm gonna put you on speaker."

"Hey, Jody." Angela greeted. "How's Alex been holding up since we last saw her?"

 _"Awesome. Already head of the cheerleading squad."_ Jody replied.

"Wow!" Sam exclaimed. "Really?"

 _"No."_ Jody scoffed. _"Sam, she smokes grass under the bleachers. But at least she's not luring men to their deaths."_

"Right." Sam pursed his lips.

 _"Listen, this may not be your kind of thing, but a body was found here this morning,"_ Jody started. _"And something had gone to chow town on it."_

"Uh, was the throat ripped out?" Sam questioned.

 _"Worse."_ Jody sighed. _"I'm hearing that all the flesh had been eaten down to the bones. Any ideas?"_

"Well, it's not a vampire," Dean muttered.

"Yeah, I-I don't know, Jody. I-I got nothing." Sam stammered.

"Jody, um… We could head that way." Angela suggested. "Wouldn't be any trouble at all."

 _"Nah, it's okay,"_ Jody replied. _"I can handle it. I promise I'll call if it gets to be something I can't."_

"Alright. Well, uh, enjoy the retreat." Sam smirked.

 _"Screw you, Winchester."_ Jody retorted.

"Talk soon," Sam said before hanging up with a chuckle.

"I'ma swallow a bag of knives if I got to keep looking at this stuff," Dean grumbled. "Let's—

"Jody said she was on top of it, Dean." Sam interrupted.

Angela looked around at the surrounding books before looking up at Sam with the dreaded puppy-dog-eyes. "Come on, Sammy. Please."

Sam pursed his lips and sighed. "Alright. Let's take a drive."


	16. Hibbing 911 Part 2

_Hibbing, Minnesota_

The Impala pulled into the parking lot of the lodge and the three hunters got out. Angela gently took Grace out of her car seat and they walked into the lodge, quickly finding Jody.

"Long time no see." Angela smiled.

"I said I could handle it." Jody retorted.

"Nice to see you, too," Dean replied.

"Hey." Sam greeted.

"Hi." Jody smiled slightly. "Okay, I'm headed to the morgue. You want in?"

"Uh, we just came from there," Sam informed.

"And?" Jody asked.

"And flesh was eaten off the second vic, too," Angela answered.

"Anything missing?"

"Eh, his wallet. Why?" Dean's brows furrowed.

"Because I think a belt was missing off the first kid," Jody explained.

"A belt? So… What?" Sam frowned in confusion. "We have monsters eating and then robbing people?"

"Jodio, you take sugar?" Donna called.

"No. No sugar." Jody sighed.

"Okeydokes."

"Jodio?" Dean quirked a brow.

"It's—ah—Don't ask." Jody shook her head.

"Wait a second," Sam cut in. "Isn't that, uh, uh, Donna?"

"Fat-spa Donna! Right." Dean recalled.

Sam groaned. "She nearly blew a case for us last time."

"Yeah, I haven't been able to shake that ray of sunshine I got here." Jody scoffed. "She's been pretty helpful, but, you know, it's just tough keeping her out of this nightmare stuff, you know?"

"Right." Sam nodded. "You mind distracting her while we poke around?"

Jody quirked an unamused brow. "You show up, and now I'm a babysitter?"

"Look, she hasn't gotten mixed up with this stuff yet." Angela shrugged. "Let's just try to keep it that way."

Donna came over from the coffee table, a bright smile on her face. "Agent Frehley? Agent Criss? Agent Simmons?"

"Hey. Sheriff Hanscum." Sam greeted.

"I thought that was you!" she exclaimed. "Well, ain't this a kick in the pants? What dragged you in?"

"Uh, well, uh… We can't talk about it." Dean replied.

"Oh." Donna nodded in understanding. "Yeah. I hear ya. Anything I can help with?"

"Oh, no, no, no, no. Uh, nothing." Sam replied quickly.

"Actually, sheriff," Jody interjected. "I was thinking you and I could go check out the gear expo."

"What about the morgue?" she tilted her head.

"Well, you know, like you said, animal control will handle that." Jody shrugged.

Donna hesitated for a brief moment. "Well, if it's cool with you, it's cool with me."

"Great." Jody smiled.

As Jody and Donna left, the three hunters headed over to a group of sheriffs by the coffee table.

"Hey, there." Dean greeted. "Agents Criss, Frehley, and Simmons. Looking for the sheriff… of… Hibbing."

"That'd be me." Len raised his hand.

"Ah." Dean nodded.

"Well, we're here investigating the attacks over the last couple nights," Angela explained. "Just wondering where you're at on that?"

Len's brows shot up. "On, the, uh… animal attacks?"

"Yeah." Angela nodded.

"Wait, wait, wait," Brice smirked. "You're telling me the FBI's got nothing better to do?"

"Well, we go where the boss tells us to," Dean replied with a shrug.

"To what—arrest a bobcat from Hibbing?" Brice asked condescendingly.

"Is there a problem?" Dean tilted his head.

"No. No, there's no problem." Brice shook his head. "You ain't the first feds to roll through here and come up with nothing. Sure is cute to watch you try, though."

"Oh, honey, the FBI doesn't do cute." Angela narrowed her eyes.

"Uh, Sheriff Cuse, we are just hoping there might be some surveillance footage of the attacks." Sam cut in. "Maybe a traffic camera caught something."

"Right. No. Sorry." Len apologized. "Sorry, I-I-I don't have a record of it. Speaking of, uh… Can you keep an eye on the expo for me, uh, deputy? I got to check in with the guys at animal control. Agents, good to meet you. Uh… help yourself to a bear claw."

With that, Len and Brice walked away from the three hunters.

"Sheriff's lying?" Angela suggested quietly.

"Deputy douche seems to think so," Dean grumbled.

"Alright," Sam nodded. "I'll go try and crack the police server. Maybe something showed up on surveillance."

"I'll come with," Dean added.

"Okay. Maybe I'll crack the deputy." Angela replied, handing Grace to Sam.

"Right, but this time, try to be a little less defensive of your 'pretend job,' babe," Sam replied.

"You know, this badge means something, baby." Angela looked up at him.

Sam rolled his eyes, a small smile on his face. "I made it at Kinko's."

"Yeah, you did." Angela pecked him on the lips. "Be proud of that, Sammy."

~/~\~

Angela walked into the gear expo room, where she approached Brice at one of the vendor tables.

"Agent," he smirked. "Are you looking for some teeny-weeny handcuffs to slap on some paws?"

"I think we got off on the wrong foot," Angela replied with a soft smile.

"Right. How's that, exactly?" Brice asked, looking Angela over.

"Well," Angela batted her eyelashes. "This investigation that my partners and I are on, it's—it's big. And, uh, we're looking for some local help—you know, someone who's not... afraid to talk shop with the big boys back in D.C. Do you think that might be something you'd be interested in?"

"Might be." Brice nodded. "What can I do?"

"Well, first of all, I'm gonna need you to be totally straight with me," Angela replied. "Is there any footage of the attack—anything?"

"Sheriff Cuse changed the password on the server yesterday," Brice admitted. "It's got the live feed from the traffic camera across the street from where that first vic got attacked. When I went to go check the footage, sheriff said he'd do it himself."

"Did he say why?" Angela asked.

Brice shook his head. "But, you know, sheriff's a-a straight shooter. I'm sure he had his reasons."

"I'm sure he did," Angela agreed. "Alright, well, I appreciate the cooperation, deputy, and, uh, when I need you, I'll come find you, okay?"

"Alright." Brice nodded.

"Alright."

~/~\~

Angela and Jody were talking at the reception desk.

"Animal attack, my ass." Angela scoffed. "Have you seen sheriff Cuse anywhere?"

"Not since the expo." Jody shook her head.

"Yeah, me neither." Angela sighed.

Jody paused for a moment. "How you doing, kiddo?"

"Me?" Angela's brows furrowed. "Fantastic. Why?"

"I'm just making sure, I mean after everything…"

"Have you, Sam, and Dean been passing notes during class?" Angela quirked a brow. "It's nothing I can't handle."

"Just sayin'." Jody shrugged. "I make a mean bowl of chowder if you ever need to talk."

"I appreciate that." Angela smiled gently.

"Hey," Sam greeted as he and Dean walked up.

"Mama!" Grace reached out for Angela.

"Hey, baby girl." Angela cooed, taking Grace from Sam. "Did you guys get something?"

"Uh, well, there was something," Dean replied. "Sammy hacked into the surveillance server, but the files had been deleted."

Jody frowned deeply. "I thought you said that sheriff Cuse was the only one who had access to those files."

Suddenly, Donna walked up, looking slightly terrified.

"Um, hi." Sam greeted.

"Hi." She greeted quickly. "Jody, can we talk a sec? Alone?"

"Yeah, we'll go—we'll go look around," Dean replied.

~/~\~

Sam jiggled the doorknob and jumped when Donna answered, pointing her gun at the three hunters.

"What the heck is that for?!" Donna demanded.

"Whoa, whoa," Sam held his hands up. "Got your voicemail."

"Sheriff Cuse is a vampire," Jody replied. "Donna saw his teeth."

"What the cuss?! A vampire?!" Donna exclaimed with wide eyes.

Dean turned to Jody, arms folded across his chest. "You want to give her the talk?"

~/~\~

Sam, Angela, Dean, Jody, and Donna were outside of the lodge.

"Heck." Donna shook her head. "Just… Heck."

"We good?" Dean asked.

"Wait," she frowned. "So, when we were at the weight-loss spa—

"Monsters." Dean cut her off. "Sucking on your fat. We took care of them."

"Ah, jeez," Donna muttered. "I knew losing 10 pounds that fast was too good to be true." She added as she pulled the note from Cuse's hotel room and handed it to Sam. "Here. Maybe this is where sheriff… vampire went."

"It could be anything," Angela replied. "What do you got, babe?"

"Looks like it's an old farm outside of town," Sam replied.

"Could be something." Dean shrugged.

"And it's the only lead we got," Donna added.

"We?" Sam frowned. "All due respect, sheriff, but vampires are far more dangerous than the johns you throw in jail."

"You're gonna sit this one out," Dean instructed.

"Stuff you, Dean!" Donna snapped. "Or whatever your real name is."

"Hanscum's good," Jody affirmed.

"Jody—

"I said she's good." Jody cut Sam off.

"Okay." Dean rolled his eyes. "Alright. But you're staying back. We're taking the lead, okay?"

~/~\~

Everyone stood outside of the old farm outside of town. Angela wore a papoose that Grace was in.

"If you're gonna swing, swing hard," Dean instructed as he distributed weapons. "With vamps, head's gotta roll."

"Got it." Donna nodded.

Sam peeked into a window and saw sheriff Cuse. When he looked back, Cuse was gone, only to pop up in the window right in Sam's face.

"Run!" Len exclaimed.

Suddenly, everyone got jumped and knocked unconscious.

"Well, hi, there, sunflower," Starr smirked.

~/~\~

Jody, Angela, Sam, Donna, and Dean were all tied up around the barn. Grace cried from the papoose carrier.

"It's all love, pretty boy," Starr smirked at Dean. "All of you will become all of us. We won't waste one bit."

"Okay, Mufasa," Dean rolled his eyes. "Enough with the 'Circle of Life' crap. You're a vampire."

"Mm-hmm." Starr hummed.

"You're scum. End of story." Dean continued as Starr took off her belt. "Yeah, I'm not in the mood."

"Wait—it's not enough that you kill people. You've got to rob them, too?" Jody interjected.

"We scavenge." Starr corrected. "We don't sip and go. We use every part of the buffalo."

"And to think I gave you lunch money." Jody shook her head.

"But you came in time for dinner," Starr smirked.

"Starr, please, let them go," Len begged. "I helped you out. I-I ditched that video o-of Catfish killing that man."

"We didn't want favors, Len." She sneered. "We wanted you."

"What use am I now?" he questioned. "I don't even kill people. I-I'm on bagged blood."

"Uh, I beg your pardon?" Donna cut in. "I saw you with your vampire face standing over sheriff Goodhill."

"No, no I-I-I found her." Len stammered. "I—I s-smelled her blood. I-I couldn't help my—my fangs. But I didn't bite."

"Well, aren't you a hero," Angela replied sarcastically.

"It's your nature to eat people." Starr reminded. "A vampire who doesn't feed is like a—like a…"

"Tiger eating salad." One of the other vampires suggested.

"We're not gonna stop, Len." Starr drawled. "We'll take down every person in your sweet, little Hibbing till you come back to the nest."

"So, what'd you do, Len? You, uh, break up Burning Man?" Sam asked.

"More like Woodstock." Starr corrected. "Len found me crying on the curb after my daddy kicked me out. I got in Len's van, and the rest is wavy gravy."

"So, what—Len's like your Charlie Manson?" Jody raised a brow.

"Ohhh. Charlie couldn't hold a candle to Len." Starr smirked. "He taught us everything."

"Yeah, I'm sure it was all Kombucha and Kumbaya." Dean scoffed.

"Liberating is what it was. And then, one day, poof! Len's gone."

"Till he landed his photo in the paper. Stupid." The other vampire added.

"For running a police retreat, of all things." Starr laughed. "You didn't just go straight. You became a damn cop. Now, that is wild, man. Are you feeling dirty, Len? 'Cause we're about to have ourselves a bloodbath."

"Don't you want to know why I left?" Len tried to stall.

"I already know why." She replied. "You got boring."

"I got a conscience." Len corrected.

"Oh?" Starr chuckled.

"Prey that begged for their lives—I-it was like even if I used every part, like I taught you, I mean it's still wrong," Len explained.

"So, you walked away," Angela commented.

"I tried to protect people," Len replied. "After so many years of… gutting them. That's why I'm here. I'll join your bloody caravan… if it means you won't kill these people."

"We aren't killing anyone." Starr shrugged. "You are."

"You don't have to do this," Jody stressed.

"Kiss my ass." Len glared at Starr.

"Mm." she hummed. "We love you, brother. But we don't know who you are anymore." She added before beheading them. "Can't say we didn't try."

Suddenly, Dean managed to break free and took out two vampires. Starr hissed in Jody's face.

Donna also broke free and beheaded Starr as she was about to bite Jody. "Hakuna matata, lady."

"Now, that's what I'm talking about," Dean smirked.

~/~\~

Dean, Sam, and Angela stood at the trunk of the Impala.

"Hey." Sam looked down at Angela. "You good, baby?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "Yeah, you know, for the first time since I've been back, I didn't feel like the mark was pushing me."

"First time?" Dean raised his brows.

"I don't know… I just… feel like me again." Angela shrugged.

"Alright." Sam nodded. "So, that's… good, right?"

"Yeah." Angela smiled softly.

"Okay." Sam leaned down to kiss her. "Well, let's go with that."


	17. The Things We Left Behind Part 1

_Angela was kneeling in a room, covered in blood. Decimated bodies littered the ground around her. She clutched a blade in her hand as she looked around at the carnage surrounding her. Angela's face was a mixture of shock, sorrow, and something like acceptance._

~/~\~

_Lebanon, Kansas_

Angela woke up with a start, gasping as she sat up in her shared bed with Sam. She looked around, breathing hard. She glanced down at the Mark of Cain on her arm.

"Baby, are you okay?" Sam mumbled groggily.

Angela cleared her throat. "Yeah. I'm fine. It's just a nightmare."

~/~\~

Dean and Angela sat at the table, watching an old episode of _'The Three Stooges,'_ laughing loudly.

"What are you laughing at?" Sam asked as he walked in, carrying Grace in one arm and a grilled cheese sandwich in another.

"Oh, hey, baby." Angela smiled. "You gotta see—this is a classic."

"Damn right." Dean agreed.

"I'm glad you're feeling better," Sam replied, smiling softly.

"Oh, yeah. Better than ever." Angela replied as Sam set the grilled cheese in front of her. "Ooh! Yummy, thanks, babe."

"No problem." Sam's smile grew as he leaned down to kiss her.

"Here, watch this, Sammy." Dean grinned.

Dean turned the computer around, and the three hunters laughed as they watched the stooges. Grace was sat on Sam's lap, giggling along with her parents. Sam sobered up when he caught a glimpse of the mark on Angela's arm, but he ended up laughing again when Angela let out another laugh.

~/~\~

_Pontiac, Illinois_

Sam, Dean, Angela, and Castiel stood outside the restaurant that Castiel and Claire were at the previous night. Sam held Grace, who clutched her elephant lovey.

"This is why you called us? This is your emergency?" Dean scoffed.

"Yes!" Castiel retorted.

"No, Cas!" Dean snapped. "An emergency is a dead body, okay? Or—or a wigged-out angel, or the Apocalypse, take three. Some chick bolting on you is not an emergency. That was… that was every Friday night for Sam before he met Angie."

"Dude," Sam muttered.

"Well." Dean shrugged.

"This isn't just 'some chick.'" Castiel argued. "I'm responsible for her."

"Since when?" Angela's brows furrowed. "You met her once, how many years ago?"

"Look, Cas. Even if we do find Claire… Then what?" Sam added.

"She rolled you, and then she ran, okay?" Dean shrugged. "It's pretty clear that she doesn't want to play house."

"I understand." Castiel nodded. "But I need to know that Claire is safe. And I need your help."

"Alright." Sam sighed. "Uh… Why don't we go ask around at the group home?"

"Uh, you know what?" Angela stopped him. "We're going to stick here in case she circles back. You and Dean go ahead."

"Thank you," Castiel replied sincerely.

~/~\~

Angela and Castiel sat in the little restaurant while Grace sat in between them in a highchair. Castiel stared intently at the ketchup bottle that sat in the middle of the table.

"Angela, is ketchup a vegetable?" Castiel asked seriously.

"No." Angela laughed. "Alright, so what's up, Cas? What's with the family reunion?"

"I don't know," Castiel admitted. "I've just been… thinking about people. I've helped some, but I've… I've hurt some."

"So, you're having a midlife crisis," Angela replied.

"Well, I'm extremely old. I think I'm entitled." Castiel muttered.

"Cas, listen to me. There's some stuff you just got to let go." Angela replied. "Okay? The people you let down, the ones you can't save… You got to forget about them. For your own good."

"Is that what you do?" Castiel inquired.

"That's the opposite of what I do," Angela replied. "But, I'm not exactly a role model."

"That's not true," Castiel replied sincerely. "Grace clearly looks up to you."

Angela looked at Castiel, then laughed, clearly not believing him. "Yeah."

Castiel stared at Angela intensely. "How are you, Angela?"

"Fine." Angela shrugged, earning a look from Castiel. "I'm great!"

"No, you're not," Castiel replied softly.

"Yeah, well, I lost the black eyes, so that's a plus. But I still have this." Angela gently slapped the mark on her arm.

"Is the Mark of Cain still affecting you?" Castiel asked curiously.

Angela was quickly reminded of the dream she had earlier, of the blood covering her and the bodies lying around.

"Angela?" Castiel frowned.

Angela blinked hard, coming back to reality. "Cas, I need you to promise me something."

"Of course." Castiel nodded.

Angela looked up at Castiel, tears in her eyes. "If… If I go dark side, you got to take me out."

Castiel's brows furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Knife me. Smite me. Throw me into the damn sun, whatever." Angela replied. "And don't let Sam and Dean get in the way, because they'll try. I can't go down the road again, Cas. I can't be that _thing_ again."

~/~\~

"Claire's a good kid, detectives," Sandy started. "She's smart, and underneath it all, she has a big heart." She added as she handed a folder to Sam. "You know, there used to be a boy here. Dustin Tate. He was older, but Claire really took him under her wing."

"Is he around?" Dean asked.

"He works at The Weiner Hut," Sandy replied. "We tried to place Claire, but she always ran away. Sometimes for a couple of days… One time for six months."

"Wow," Sam muttered. "Where does she hide out?"

"Wish I knew." Sandy sighed.

~/~\~

Sam and Castiel stood outside the Weiner Hut as Dustin walked up.

"Dustin Tate?" Sam asked.

"Nah, man." He shrugged.

"Oh, really?" Sam quirked a brow.

Sam put a hand on Dustin's chest, and Castiel came up and grabbed the back of his jacket.

"Yes, you are." Castiel sneered, pushing Dustin back against the brick wall. "And you're going to tell me where Claire Novak is."

Dean and Angela walked up, Grace trotting along, holding her uncle's hand.

"Now, I'd do what he says," Dean suggested.


	18. The Things We Left Behind Part 2

_Pontiac, Illinois_

Dean, Angela, and Sam watched as Castiel dragged Claire out of the store. She immediately took her hood off and started to walk away.

"Excuse us," Castiel huffed. "Claire, wait!"

"Screw you." She growled.

"Whoa, hey, Miley Cyrus, settle." Dean tried to stop her.

"Eat me, Hasselhoff." Claire sassed back.

"Claire, hold on a second," Sam interjected. "Look, my name's—

"Sam. And you're Angela, and you're Dean. We've met, remember?" Claire reminded. "Your kid's new, though."

"Claire," Castiel sighed deeply. "You were going to rob that convenience store?"

"So?" Claire shrugged.

"So? So… it's—it's wrong!" Castiel exclaimed.

"You want to talk to me about wrong?" Claire scoffed. "You _killed_ my dad. Is that 'wrong' enough for you?"

"No, I didn't," Castiel stressed.

"Really?" she raised her brows. "Because without you, he'd still be here. And my mom would still be around."

"Claire, I'm…" Castiel took a step toward the teenager.

"Don't!" Claire pulled a gun from her pocket.

"That won't hurt me." Castiel sighed.

"Fine." Claire glared, turning the gun on Sam, Dean, Angela, and Grace.

"Whoa!" Dean exclaimed, stepping in front of Grace. "Hey, come on."

"Hold on a second." Sam pleaded.

"Claire, you don't have to do this," Angela added.

"Why? Like you don't have it coming?" Claire growled. "You stood there while this monster took my dad. I used to pray to you, Castiel. Every night. I would beg you to bring him home safe."

Castiel paused for a moment, glancing at the ground. "I know."

"You know… My father was a good man." Claire replied. "In what messed up world does he have to die and you get to live?"

"I'm sorry." Castiel apologized.

"No." Claire shook her head. "You feel _guilty._ There's a difference."

"So, what? Now you run back to Randy? The guy you steal for?" Sam questioned.

"How do you know about that?" Claire frowned.

"Dustin," Angela replied, picking up Grace.

"Scared, mama." Grace whimpered.

"I know, baby." Angela cooed.

"Claire, that man is using you," Castiel stressed.

"He was there for me." Claire's voice shook. "When things got bad—and they got real damn bad—he was there when no one else was. He's my family. And you're just… You can go to hell."

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, Angela, and Castiel sat at a little table in the corner of the bar and Grace sat on Angela's lap.

"Give me a shot of… um…" Castiel started when the waitress came over.

"Four whiskeys." Dean finished.

"Cas, don't beat yourself up, hon." Angela comforted. "Claire was…"

"Right," Castiel whispered. "She was right. Who am I to tell her how to live her life?"

"Well, somebody needs to," Dean replied. "It's not like we're talking about Mother Teresa here. The girl just about knocked over a Gas-n-Sip. She's got issues."

"Because of me," Castiel replied.

"Well, you are wearing her old man's meat suit. Probably didn't help." Dean shrugged, earning a look from Sam.

"I thought I could make it up to her," Castiel muttered.

"I don't think you can," Sam replied gently. "I mean, Jimmy was her father, and to some people, that's… That's everything, you know?"

"No, I don't," Castiel admitted. "I never knew my father. He was distant, to say the least." He added before turning to Dean. "What about you? Did you love your father?"

Dean looked to Sam and Angela, then back to Castiel.

"With everything I had," Dean replied.

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "Yeah. I mean, it wasn't easy, but yeah."

"I mean, look," Dean huffed. "John Winchester's not going to win any 'Number One Dad' awards, you know? But you know… damn if he wasn't there when we needed him."

"Angela?" Castiel turned to her. "What about you?"

"Of course, I loved my dad." Angela smiled softly, recalling various memories. "I mean, after my mom died, it was just me and him until he… I loved him more than anything."

Sam wrapped a comforting arm around Angela's waist and pulled her close. "Hey, Dean, uh… Tell the story about that time in New York."

"Oh, yeah," Dean smirked. "Yeah, okay. So, uh… We were working this haunting in Long Island, and me and Sam _begged_ the old man to let us go to the city for once."

"He had this thing about New York, right?" Sam chuckled. "Too big, too loud, too dirty."

"Yeah, and he hated the Yankees," Dean added.

"Big time."

"Somehow, we convince him to let us go." Dean continued. "So, we all go. We all, you know, see all the sights, and uh, ride the subway, eat too much pizza. The whole nine. Well, by about midnight, Sam and Dad are zonked, and I figure… Screw it. I'm going to CBGB."

"So, CBGB is—

"I know." Castiel interrupted Sam. "It's where The Ramones and Blondie got their start."

"Right," Dean muttered.

"Wow." Sam blanked. "Anyways, he was way underage at the time."

"Alright, so I get there. I sneak in, and it is nuts." Dean continued. "I mean, people are drinking and they're smoking and they're—they're snorting whatever. There's a five-hundred-pound guy on stage with a mohawk just screaming. And, uh, my mind is blown. I don't even know what to do. Then this girl walked up and she says, 'Hey, why don't you come over and sit down with me and my friends at our table?' Alright!"

"Yeah," Sam smirked. "And they get him drunk. First time."

"But not fun drunk," Dean added quickly. "I'm not quite sure what was in that stuff, but the room starts to spin and I feel like I'm going to puke… forever. And right about that time, I hear him. 'Dean Winchester!'" Dean mimicked John's voice. "My old man. I don't know how, but he found me. And now I'm really freaking out, because he's just standing there, not saying anything. I look around, and everybody else is freaking out, too. In fact, nobody's even looking him in the eye. And finally, this one guy with, like, a safety pin through his nose and a—a 'Kill Everything' tattoo and looks up and says, 'Sorry, sir.'" Dean continued, earning a small smile from Castiel. "Yeah. 'Sorry, sir,' to John friggin' Winchester."

"He saved you," Castiel commented.

"Yeah, and you know what he got for that?" Dean quirked a brow. "Me whining about how much he embarrassed me. Me telling him that I hated him. But then he stopped and turned around and he looked at me and he said, 'Son, you don't like me? That's fine. It's not my job to be liked.'"

"It's my job to raised you right." Sam finished.

"Yeah. And he did." Dean nodded.

"Do you think Claire is in trouble?" Castiel asked quietly.

"She's hanging out with a guy named Randy." Dean scoffed. "She's in trouble."

~/~\~

One of Salinger's men opened the front door to find Castiel, Sam, Angela, and Dean standing there. Sam held Grace in his arms. Castiel lifted a hand, and the man went flying backward. Randy and another man looked toward the door. Castiel and the Winchesters walked inside, and the other man went toward Cas, stopping when he saw Angela and the gun in her hand.

"Don't!" Angela snapped.

"Back it up," Dean instructed.

The man did as he was told, and the Winchesters held the men at gunpoint. Castiel looked around the room.

"Where's the girl?" he demanded.

Suddenly, they heard screaming coming from upstairs. Castiel ran up the stairs and busted the door open, causing Salinger to turn around. As he was distracted, Claire kicked Salinger in the face and continued to kick him over and over.

"Claire. Claire!" Castiel grabbed her arm.

Claire finally stopped kicking and Castiel led her from the room. They walked downstairs, and Claire moved away from Castiel, tears in her eyes.

"Randy." Her voice shook with betrayal.

Randy looked at her, then stared at the floor, guilt on his face.

"Get her out of here," Angela instructed.

"Yeah. Go." Sam agreed.

"Go," Angela stressed.

Sam and Dean nodded, following after Castiel and Claire. Angela went to follow the group until Salinger's men started to move forward. Angela raised her gun again.

"Hey, back up!" she snapped. "Back up. Don't be as dumb as you look."

"Hey!" Salinger yelled.

Angela turned around and Salinger smashed a beer bottle over her head. She fell, bleeding from her forehead. Angela looked up, then flashed back, to receiving the Mark of Cain, the feeling of holding the First Blade, killing Abaddon… The men crowded around Angela and she remembered beheading Magnus, becoming a demon, and being cured. Angela shook her head.

"You guys… don't want to do this." She warned.

Salinger just laughed, then kicked Angela in the face.

~/~\~

Angela knelt in the living room, a bloody knife in her hand. Salinger and his men, along with Randy, littered the floor around Angela, their bodies sliced and bloody.

As Claire, Castiel, Dean, and Sam walked into the house, Claire let out a blood-curdling scream and Grace started to wail from Sam's arms. Castiel pulled Claire to him, shielding her from the sight. Sam handed Grace to Dean and ran over to Angela.

"Angie? Angela. Hey." Sam fell to his knees in front of Angela, taking his wife's face in his hands. "Tell me you had to do this."

Angela looked at Sam, unshed tears in her eyes. "I didn't… I didn't mean to."

"No." Sam shook his head. "Tell me it was them or you!"

Castiel had a horrified expression on his face as he looked from Angela to the carnage surrounding her. Castiel and Dean took the girls outside, leaving Sam and Angela alone, the bloodied bodies surrounding them. Sam's hand fell from Angela's face, and as she looked around, she started to realize what she'd done…


	19. The Hunter Games Part 1

_Lebanon, Kansas_

Angela sat on the bed she shared with Sam, holding her right arm. She closed her eyes tightly as images of the mark-fueled killings flashed through her mind. She got up and looked at herself in the mirror, which was divided into three parts by cracks running from side-to-side.

~/~\~

Castiel paced the bunker library as Grace sat nearby, playing with her peg-puzzle. Sam and Dean walked in, sitting down at the table.

"She barely speaks to me," Castiel commented. "She's like a wounded animal, just watching me."

"Look, Cas, you know what?" Sam sighed heavily. "You really tried to do the right thing that night. You did. This guy Claire was hanging out with, Randy, all he did was use her."

"Well, she thought he was kind," Castiel replied. "And for that, she loved him. Shows how little kindness there was in her life. You know, whatever Randy did, he didn't deserve—

"No, yeah, we know, we know." Sam interrupted. "We hear you. Angie has had to kill before. We all have. But that was—

"That was what?" Angela asked suddenly.

Sam rose, clearly surprised as Angela walked in from the war room.

"Angie." Sam cleared his throat.

"That was a _massacre._ That's what it was." She replied, looking between Sam, Dean, and Castiel. "There was a time I was a hunter, not a stone-cold killer." She added, earning troubled looks from the boys. "You can say it. You're not wrong. I crossed the line. This thing's gotta go."

"That won't be easy," Castiel replied bluntly.

"Well, then burn it off!" Angela yelled. "Cut it off."

"It is more than just a physical thing," Castiel explained. "It will take a very powerful force to remove the effect."

"Kid, we have been through all the lore. There's nothing." Dean reminded sadly.

"This reached back to the time of creation," Castiel added. "It may pre-date the lore. If we had the demon tablet, maybe."

"But you said it was missing." Sam's brows furrowed.

"It is…" Castiel sighed. "There may be another way."

~/~\~

Sam opened the front passenger door of Castiel's Lincoln and stepped out.

"Oh, I see." Metatron chuckled. "I'm betting you didn't tell Ingrid about him. Hello, Sam! Here to kill me?"

~/~\~

_Lebanon, Kansas_

Metatron sat in a chair in the Men of Letters dungeon as Sam approached him.

"It's where you bring the kinky chicks, am I right?" Metatron smirked.

"I'll ask the questions around here," Sam replied as he put the chains around Metatron. "You… Your only job is to provide information."

"Ah." Metatron nodded. "Well, information does happen to be a specialty. Got about two billion facts up here." He pointed to his temple. "Of course, whether I choose to cough one up or not is another matter."

"We need to know how to remove the Mark of Cain from Angie's arm," Sam replied.

Metatron looked up at Sam with an incredulous expression. "What? She's back? Because of the mark? So… she's a demon."

"No." Sam shook his head.

"Okay, then what then?" Metatron asked, earning a troubled looked from Sam. "What, did she 'kill a human,' or something? She's gone nuclear!" he realized. "Total, foaming at the mouth, balls-out maniac. Ah, haha—that's fantastic!"

"Do you know how to remove it?" Sam growled.

"Maybe." Metatron shrugged. "But here's the thing. You expect any help out of me, you keep that crazy wife of yours on a short leash."

"Buddy, I don't care what happens to you." Sam glared icily. "You killed my wife."

Sam turned around to face Angela, who was walking into the dungeon.

~/~\~

"Ain't life a bitch?" Metatron asked. "Nebbishy little guy—me—always sticking it to the lunkhead jocks."

Angela rolled her eyes. "You know what, screw the mark. Let's just kill him."

"Boy, she really is a mess." Metatron chuckled as he looked at Sam and Dean, who sat at a table in the corner. "Who knew the mark was so toxic? Well, actually, I did." He added before turning his attention back to Angela. "You know it's going to own you sooner than later."

"Yeah, so how do we get rid of it?" Dean demanded.

Metatron frowned deeply. "What, just like that, social hour's over?"

"Yes," Sam replied. "And now we're moving on to our keynote speaker."

"Which is you," Angela added. "With us asking the questions. And me taking the personal pleasure of carving the answers out of you."

"Now, just—whoa, whoa, whoa," Metatron stopped her. "Hold on there, badass! Lighten up! Why do you just assume I'm not gonna be helpful?"

"Because you're a dickwad." Sam scoffed.

"But I'm your dickwad," Metatron replied endearingly. "I have a special place in my non-heart for the three of you. To which end—ta-daa! I'd be tickled to help you pop this biblical zit. To do it, you are gonna need one specific thing. Your old bud—the First Blade."

"What?" Sam and Dean asked.

Metatron laughed. "As I said: ain't life a bitch."

~/~\~

Dean, Sam, and Angela walked into the Men of Letters library.

"This is the single worst idea I've ever heard," Sam started. "You just whacked a whole house full of people, and that's when the blade was nowhere around. And now you wanna be in actual contact with it?"

"We don't know that I have to be in contact with it." Angela shrugged. "All we know is that we need it."

"No, no, all we know is he says we need it." Dean corrected. "We don't even know what he wants us to do with it."

"A step at a time, alright." Angela sighed. "We play it safe, we learn whatever the spell is, how it works and we keep the blade out of my hands." She explained as she took out her cell phone.

"Are you sure this isn't the mark making you want the damn thing?" Sam asked concernedly. "I mean, why would we trust anything Metatron says?"

"I don't trust Metatron," Angela replied.

Sam raised his brows. "You don't tru—Then what?"

"What's his game if he's lying, okay?" Angela justified. "The blade without me is useless. The blade with me is trouble for him." She put her phone to her ear.

"What does he want?" Dean's brows furrowed.

"I don't know." Angela shrugged. "But if we weren't willing to take a shot, then what was the point of bringing him here? Unless you guys got a better idea."

 _"Bambi,"_ Crowley's voice finally rang through. _"It's been a while. Back to your former self?"_

"Crowley," Angela replied. "We need to meet ASAP."

 _"Where?"_ Crowley asked.


	20. The Hunter Games Part 2

"Really, Crowley? Radio silence?" Dean asked.

"Say something," Sam added.

Crowley stood across from the hunters, his eyes narrowed. "You want me to do what?!"

"We need you to bring back—

"Bring back the blade?" he scoffed. "I don't think so."

Angela rolled her eyes, obviously annoyed. "You don't have to give the thing to me."

"I should say not," Crowley replied indignantly.

"No, no, just retrieve it and hang onto it until we need it," Angela explained.

Crowley turned to Sam, hoping to find reason. "You, moose, you're the sane one. You on board with this?" he demanded, getting no response. "Insane. You want me to procure the most dangerous weapon on the planet for Angela Winchester, the woman who goes mental every time she touches it! I thought you'd wanna go for a beer, catch a film."

"Look, if this plan works—

"It's not a plan." Crowley cut Sam off. "It's a probable death sentence for me and my kind."

"If it works, it's better for you," Sam explained. "Look, when the mark is gone, the blade can't operate."

"Win-win. Huh?" Angela quirked a brow. "Win-win."

"Stop that." Crowley scoffed. "It can't operate. It's hidden."

"Okay, the blade might be powered down, but the mark is not," Angela replied. "I'm doing _everything_ I can to keep it together. You think the body count around me is high right now? Wait till Hal takes over."

"We figure you stashed the blade somewhere far away…" Dean sighed.

"Damn right. It's in a crypt with my bones." Crowley retorted.

"Alright, well?" Sam raised his brows.

Crowley rolled his eyes dramatically. "I hate Guam this time of year."

~/~\~

_Lebanon, Kansas_

Castiel stormed into the bunker, clearly angry. "The First Blade is back in play and Crowley is the one getting it?!" he questioned. "I don't mean to be an alarmist, but you—

"Yeah, well, you know us." Angela walked in from the library, holding a beer bottle. "When we screw ourselves we like to go whole hog."

"This would be the Crowley who let the blade turn Angela into a demon?" Castiel narrowed his eyes.

"I don't have a choice, okay?" Angela shrugged. "I don't do this, I'm down the rabbit hole. Hear evil, see evil, do evil. The trifecta."

"Cas, look," Sam pursed his lips as Grace squirmed in his lap. "Let us worry about this. You've got enough on your plate with Claire."

Castiel looked down at the floor. "Claire is gone."

"Gone where?" Dean's brows furrowed.

"I don't know," Castiel admitted. "I—I should have stopped her. But I am certain that she is destined for more trouble and disappointment. She is so… so full of rage."

"Listen, Cas, if I could make it better, I would," Angela replied.

"It's actually why I'm here." Castiel sat down. "I was hoping you might reach out to her."

"Me?" Angela's brows shot up in surprise.

"Yes." Castiel nodded.

"Seriously, I'm probably the last person she would wanna hear from," Angela replied.

"I thought there would be a connection." Castiel shrugged. "One extremely messed up human to another, you could explain why you murdered her only friend."

"Oh, well, yeah, when you put it like that." Angela deadpanned.

"All I know is, she won't talk to me." Castiel shook his head. "I thought if she understood the kind of man Randy was and the danger she was in, she might…"

"What the hell, why not?" Angela shrugged. "Long shots seem to be the theme around here. I'm gonna make a sandwich."

"I'll, uh—I'll text you her number." Castiel took out his phone.

"Okay." Angela stood up.

"I like texting," Castiel added. "Emoticons?"

Angela just chuckled softly and left the room. Castiel turned his attention to Sam and Dean.

"She seems calm." The angel noted. "Considering the effects of the mark. Metatron in proximity."

"Too calm," Sam added. "I think she's worried about what'll happen if she pops the cork."

~/~\~

Angela was in the kitchen, making a sandwich when suddenly her phone started ringing.

"Yeah." She greeted.

 _"Bambi!"_ Crowley's voice rang through. _"I've got it."_

"That's good to hear," Angela replied.

 _"Of course, I'm gonna hang onto it until you work out how to get that thing off your arm,"_ Crowley explained.

~/~\~

Angela walked into the Men of Letters dungeon where Metatron still sat.

"I'm guessing you're not here to reminisce." Metatron quipped.

"Alright, we did what you said," Angela folded her arms across her chest. "We have the First Blade."

"Not here? Not on your person." Metatron raised his brows.

"Not saying." Angela retorted. "So, back to you. What's next?"

"This is where it gets kind of interesting," Metatron replied.

"Uh-huh." Angela nodded.

"It's very lonely here," Metatron noted. "And I have little to do but think. And it occurred to me that you really need this mark taken off of you. And in order to do that, you really need me. So, here's the deal. That first little tip I gave you?" he smirked. "A freebie. Just 'cause you're you. Every future step—they're gonna cost you. Big. Oh, and FYI, there's a bunch."

Angela pulled out an angel blade, slammed it on the table angrily, and went to close the door.

"Whatcha doing there, Slugger?" Metatron questioned.

Angela locked the door. "I'm settling a score that's taken way too long to settle. Oh, and while I do that, I'm gonna get some information." She replied as she grabbed the blade and stalked towards Metatron. "And I'm gonna enjoy every minute of it. Because you're gonna tell me everything. All of it. And it isn't gonna cost me a damn dime. Slugger."

~/~\~

"Alright," Angela glared darkly. "I'm gonna ask this exactly once, before it gets ugly. What is the next step in removing the mark?"

"I repeat my offer. Each step costs you." Metatron sneered.

"You're confused." Angela mused. "See, each step you don't give me—is gonna cost you. And it's been a long time coming. I mean, where do I begin? Stealing Cas's grace. Casting out the angels. Making Gadreel kill Kevin using my husband's hands. Starting an angel war." She practically growled. "And, oh yeah, you killed me."

Metatron scoffed. "My morality is being judged by Angela Winchester? How many people have suffered and died because they belied in you? How many times have you lied to Sam, including, oh by the way, when he was possessed by an angel? And you say, 'Oh well, it's all for the greater good.' But lately, sweetheart? The greater good thing just went away, didn't it? Now, people just die because you want them to."

Angela growled and punched Metatron square in the face.

Metatron grunted in pain, then chuckled. "Good, Angela. Go darker."

Angela glared and punched Metatron again.

"Go deeper!" he yelled as he started bleeding from his mouth.

Angela continued to punch Metatron repeatedly.

"Surely you've noticed, every time you respond when the mark gets you all twitchy, you fall deeper under its spell," Metatron commented. "You think roughing up a few humans and demons makes it worse? Try messing with the scribe of God!"

~/~\~

Castiel walked up behind Sam and Dean. "It's late. I'm gonna drive around a little bit, see if I can find Claire."

"Right now?" Dean asked.

"I have to try." Castiel insisted.

"Well, be careful," Sam replied before glancing into the empty kitchen. "Wait, guys? Where's Angie?"

The three exchanged a look and Sam scooped Grace into his arms before they took off down the corridor.

~/~\~

"And Kevin's death?" Metatron panted. "All on you. You put him in harm's way and kept him there. Gadreel possessing Sam? Who was it that tricked Sam into letting him in? And your daughter? You'll screw her up, too." He snarled. "Oh, and then my personal favorite: Angela Winchester. Whose entire existence is defined by a war on the dark and monstrous—bouncing her way around the country with the King of Hell!"

Angela punched Metatron again, growling. "Let's try this again. What is the next step?"

"What is it you humans say so inelegantly?" Metatron hummed. "Oh, yes—go screw yourself."

~/~\~

Sam and Dean ran up outside the dungeon, followed by Castiel. Dean tried to open the door, but it was locked.

"Mama!" Grace yelled.

"Angie?!" Sam called out, pounding on the door.

~/~\~

"Now it's time to get serious." Angela hummed as she grabbed the angel blade from the table.

~/~\~

"Angie!" Dean yelled, knocking on the door.

~/~\~

Angela put the blade against Metatron's throat. "What is the next step in removing this mark from my arm?"

~/~\~

"Angie, open the door." Sam pleaded as he pounded on the door with his free hand. "Hey, open the door!"

~/~\~

Angela cut Metatron's face, letting a glimmer of grace seep from the wound. She placed the angel blade at Metatron's throat.

"What is the next step?!" she practically roared.

Angela ripped Metatron's shirt open and started cutting down his sternum. Blood and grace started to seep out and Metatron screamed.

~/~\~

Sam kicked the door to no avail. Castiel gently shoved him out of the way.

"Move!" Castiel commanded as he raised his arm.

~/~\~

The mark on Angela's arm glowed an angry bright red.

"Behold, the river shall end at the source," Metatron smirked.

~/~\~

Castiel's eyes glowed and he sent grace from the palm of his hand to shatter the dungeon door. Sam handed Grace to Castiel and the brothers ran into the dungeon, where Angela held the angel blade against Metatron's chest.

"No, Angie!" Sam yelled. "Hey, stop, stop!"

Sam and Dean grabbed Angela and pulled her away. Castiel checked on Metatron, with Grace still in his arm.

"You were killing him, kiddo." Dean shook his head.

"I have to take him back." Castiel pursed his lips tightly.

"Cas, this won't happen again," Sam promised.

"I gave my word." Castiel retorted as he handed Grace back to Sam. "I have fences to mend in Heaven, and as it is, I have a lot to explain."

"If you ever ask me for help again, I will choose death." Metatron sneered. "You realize it's going to get worse, Angela. You're gonna get worse!"

~/~\~

Angela sat at the library table, holding her head in her hands. Sam and Dean walked in, Sam having just put Grace down for a nap.

"Hey, baby." Sam greeted. "You okay?"

"He said the river ends at the source," Angela replied.

"What does that mean?" Dean frowned.

"Maybe nothing." Angela shrugged. "It was the last thing he said before you guys busted in."

"Angie. Look, baby, we had to…" Sam replied.

"Hey, no." she stopped him. "I get it, alright. I—I was gonna kill him. And I couldn't stop myself."

"We'll figure it out, alright, kiddo?" Dean comforted. "You know what Cas said about needing a powerful force?"

"Yeah, so?" Angela raised a brow.

"So, we've been thinking," Sam continued. "Look. Cain still has the mark, right?"

Angela just nodded silently.

"Ang he's lived with it." Sam reminded. "For years, he's lived with it. So yeah, the mark is strong, but—Angie, maybe there's a part of you that wants to give into it. And maybe you have to fight that, you know? Maybe… part of that powerful force has to be you."

Angela was about to respond when her phone started ringing. "Yeah."

 _"It's Claire."_ The teen's voice rang through. _"I thought it over. Maybe it's only fair to hear your side of it. I mean, Castiel seemed to trust you, a lot."_

"Yeah, okay," Angela replied. "Where do you wanna meet?"

~/~\~

Angela pulled up to a camper, alone in her car. She got out, not knowing that Claire was watching from the camper. Brit was lurking in the bushes, clutching a baseball bat. Angela sat down on the nearby park bench. Tony was also lurking behind her. Claire watched as they started to sneak up on Angela. Tony held an ax in his hand. Suddenly, Clair ran to the open camper door.

"No!" she cried.

Angela turned her head, saw Claire, then looked around, obviously alarmed. Brit swung her bat, but Angela ducked. Tony and Claire ran toward Angela, who took Brit in a chokehold using the bat. Tony attacked Angela, who shoved Brit to the side and, after a brief struggle, shoved Tony down on the ground next to her. Angela picked up the ax.

"No!" Claire pleaded.

Angela raised the ax, causing Tony to flinch.

"No, no!" Claire begged.

Angela forcefully swung the ax—into the park bench. Tony and Brit immediately ran off and Angela faced Claire. Claire swallowed nervously and walked back into the camper. Angela walked back to her car and left.


	21. There's No Place Like Home Part 1

_Lebanon, Kansas_

Sam and Dean sat at the table in the Men of Letters library, Sam's phone on speaker.

"Alright," Sam sighed heavily. "Well, just—just keep us posted, okay? Yeah, you got it. Wait, Cas. You there? Hey, thanks. Yeah." Sam hung up just as Angela set down egg-white omelets in front of the boys.

Dean raised his brows. "You made egg-white omelets?"

"Yeah," Angela shrugged. "Breakfast of Champions. At least, that's what Sammy says."

"And you slept past 7:00," Sam noted.

"Yeah, well, until we get answers on this Mark of Cain, I am on a 12-step program not to backslide," Angela explained as she sat down next to Sam.

"12 steps?" Sam asked as he draped an arm around Angela's shoulders.

"Yeah." Angela nodded. "Hey, if Cain found a way to live with it after going dark side, then I just got to find a way to keep it in check, so, I haven't had a drink in a week, eight hours of sleep every night, and… now this masterpiece."

"That's three steps," Dean replied.

"Shut up and eat, Dean." Angela poked her tongue out.

"Wow," Sam said through a mouthful. "That's—that's awesome, babe."

"It's okay." Angela shrugged. "Soon as we get rid of this damn thing… the better. Tell me you guys got something."

~/~\~

A few hours passed, and the three hunters remained in the library. Sam frowned as he watched something on the laptop.

"What the hell?"

"Cain or Crowley?" Dean asked.

"Charlie," Sam replied, clearly shocked.

"Is she back from Oz?" Angela's brows furrowed. "She didn't call?"

"Yeah, uh… She's been busy." Sam muttered.

Dean and Angela crowded around Sam, looking at the laptop.

"What the hell are we looking at?" Dean asked.

"So, you know, I was looking into the news, checking for anything weird, right?" Sam shrugged. "I found this story about a torture vic. Apparently, some kid videotaped this at his next-door neighbor's house."

"What are you saying, Charlie tortured someone?" Angela frowned deeply.

"Uh…" Sam shrugged, at a loss for words.

"Our Charlie?" Dean quirked a brow. "Yea high, wouldn't hurt a Hobbit, practically sparkles?"

Angela pulled out her phone and dialed. "Come on Charlie, pick up."

"The guy she went all Jack Bauer on—uh, Peter Harper," Sam noted.

"She's not answering." Angela hung up.

"District attorney in Topeka," Sam continued. "According to this article, he wasn't the only person in town that was hit. Uh, a court stenographer was assaulted the night before."

"Well, you know, Charlie wouldn't go off on someone without a reason." Dean reasoned.

"Yeah, I wouldn't think so either, but look at the video." Sam retorted.

"Oh, we're looking at it," Dean stressed. "But you know what we do, taken out of context, it doesn't look that much different. She could be hunting. Why don't we go talk to this asshat and see what's going on?"

~/~\~

Angela stood in the bedroom she shared with Sam and her hands shook with tension as she clutched a knife. Sam walked in, carrying Grace.

"Hey, babe, you ready?" Sam asked.

"Yeah." Angela forced a small smile. "Yeah, let's do this."

"Let's go."

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were questioning the district attorney that Charlie had assaulted. Sam held a slightly restless Grace.

"Now, did you notice anything odd before the attack—any, uh, strange smells, weird noises?" Sam asked as he readjusted Grace in his arms.

"No, no, nothing." Peter shook his head. "I was just at home here, getting ready for bed, and that crazy bitch jumped me. All she wanted to know was about some case that I worked on years ago—drunk driver T-boned another car, killing the driver, and the passenger was declared brain-dead on the scene."

"The Middletons," Angela replied. "They had a daughter, 12-years-old. They were on their way to pick her up."

"Yeah, that's right. How did you know that?" Peter questioned.

"Well, we do our homework at the FBI." Angela shrugged.

"Okay, well, then you know the case never went to trial," Peter replied. "Before I could even see the evidence, it was off the books. All the files were sealed."

"Now, how is that even possible?" Sam's brows furrowed.

"I don't know." Peter shrugged. "But I looked into it this morning. There's no record of that case anywhere, and the arresting officer has since passed away. There's nothing, except for this," he slid a file across the table. "The social service file on the Middletons' kid. It's not very helpful, to be honest with you. The kid has disappeared, until now."

"Now, is there anything else you can remember about the case—any names you can think of?" Dean asked.

"No." Peter shook his head. "Like I told the police, it was so long ago. Look, I'm sorry."

"Alright. Here's the thing," Sam pursed his lips. "We talked to the other victim on the way here—the stenographer. Now, she said the attacker didn't let her go until she gave up a name—your name."

"Okay." Peter frowned. "But w-what does that have to do with m-me being attacked in my own home, here?"

"What name did you give up?" Dean questioned.

"Look, I told you everything I told the police." Peter lied. "This woman comes in here, beats the tar out of me, but—but there's no name to give up, so I-I don't know what else to—

Angela shoved Peter's chair back and got in his face.

"Hey, w-what are you doing?!" Peter exclaimed.

"Talk you son of a bitch!" Angela yelled angrily.

"Hey, look, I'm the victim, here!" Peter replied, eyes wide.

"Talk!" Angela growled.

"Okay. Okay. Alright. Alright." Peter conceded. "After the files were sealed… I pushed. And, uh… they offered me money—a lot of money."

"Give me a name." Angela glared icily.

"The money kept on coming in from overseas accounts," Peter replied.

"Give me a name!" Angela repeated.

"I will be disbarred!" Peter retorted.

"That'll be the least of your worries, I promise you that," Angela replied ominously.

Peter swallowed nervously. "Councilwoman Barbara Cordry."

~/~\~

Sam read Charlie's social work file by flashlight as Dean drove. Grace was asleep in her car seat.

"Celeste Middleton," Sam started. "Celeste—that's Charlie's real name. Guess she's looking for the person who, uh, destroyed her family."

"Can you blame her?" Dean raised a brow. "You know, we just got to find her before she does something nobody can walk away from."

~/~\~

Sam knocked on the door as he, Dean, and Angela waited outside of the large home. Angela held a sleeping Grace.

"Barbara Cordry?" Sam asked as the woman opened the door.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

"Yes," Sam nodded. "I'm Special Agent Gabriel. These are my partners, Special Agents Collins and Wilson. May we come in?"

"What's this about?" Barbara frowned.

"We have some questions about a drunk-driving case from a while back involving the Middleton family," Sam explained.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She denied.

"Ma'am, if we could just—

"Sorry," she interrupted Angela. "I'm still on vacation. Feel free to schedule an appointment with my assistant. She'll pencil you in." she slammed the door in their faces.

"Guilty much?" Dean scoffed.

"Yeah." Sam agreed.

~/~\~

Later that night, the three hunters were staking out Barbara's house from the Impala.

"Why do I have to eat kale?" Dean grumbled as he bit into his sandwich. "What even is kale?"

"Anti-authority disorder, clinical depression, violent outbursts." Sam read from Charlie's file. "Charlie was, uh…"

"Dude," Dean rolled his eyes. "If a shrink interviewed us at that age, you think the report would be all kittens and rainbows? Come on. She's a good kid. There's got to be an explanation for this. There's just got to be."

Suddenly, there was a crash and a scream from inside the house. Sam, Dean, and Angela leaped from the car, Sam quickly grabbing Grace, and busted into the house. They found Charlie and Barbara in the living room.

~/~\~

"Should have known Rocket, Groot, and Gamora would track me down." Charlie quipped.

"Let her go," Sam commanded.

"Who?" Charlie raised her brows. "Oh, her?"

"Don't do this," Sam stressed.

"I just want answers." Charlie defended.

"Yeah?" Angela replied. "Since when do you start pounding on people for those? What the hell happened to you in Oz?"

"Everything I wanted," Charlie smirked. "An adventure. Even got my own little sword."

"Charlie—

"Oh, Sam, you're adorable." She patronized. "You're not gonna hurt me. In fact, that's your problem—all good-guy code, no bite. What a waste. And you two…" she turned to Dean and Angela. "Always letting this albatross hold you back."

"Okay, alright, you know what?" Dean clenched his jaw. "I don't know what's going on here, okay? But this—this is not you."

"Oh, it's me, alright," Charlie assured.

"Charlie, put the knife down. Let her go." Angela pleaded. "We don't want to hurt you, but we're not gonna let you do this."

~/~\~

Angela and Charlie started fighting in the entryway after a chase through the house.

"Stop! Crap!" Angela groaned as Charlie's legs wrapped around her neck. "Sam! Dean!"

~/~\~

"You alright?" Sam asked Barbara.

"Yeah." She nodded.

"What did she say to you?" Dean questioned.

"She—she just—she wanted the bank statements," Barbara replied.

~/~\~

Angela ran outside while Charlie drove away in a large SUV. "Charlie! Hey!"

Angela went over to the Impala, groaning when she noticed that the tires were slashed.

"Dean's gonna be pissed." She grumbled.

Suddenly, Charlie pulled up in her yellow VW. "What's up, bitches?" she waved, earning a shocked look from Angela. "Right. Um, we should probably catch up."

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, Angela, and Charlie sat at a table in a little nearby restaurant. Grace sat at her high-chair, eating chicken tenders.

"There are two of you—one good, one… bad?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, what, dick you is some sort of ninja?" Dean added.

"She is a badass, yeah." Charlie nodded.

"O-okay. Hold on," Angela cut in. "We were there for Dorothy, Oz, yellow brick road. B-but then…"

"War," Charlie replied grimly. "The war for Emerald City. It was awesome. Until not so much. We were gonna lose, so I made a deal with the wizard… of Oz. Wears a hood and a creepy mask, kind of a jerk—good times. He said for us to win, I had to unleash my true darkness, which he meant literally. He used the inner key of Oz." she explained. "It opens a door to your soul and lets the darkness out. Uh, we're still connected physically. If you hurt her, you hurt me. But bottom line, she's bad and I'm good. And let me just tell you, being good is really annoying. Normally in a place like this, I'd be pounding Harvey Wallbangers and checking out the bartender's ass. Now all I want to do is sip club soda and send her to college."

"Okay, uh… good Charlie," Dean started. "So, why is dark Charlie gunning for revenge?"

"She's trying to win me back." She replied. "Dark Charlie won the war single-handedly. But… She did some truly awful things. But I told her I didn't want any part of her near me again, ever." Going after the person who mur—mur—uh… Who took my parents away is her messed-up way of showing me how close we are, or—or could be. I keep calling her 'she,' but she's me. I'm the one doing this."

"Charlie, that—that's not who you are, okay?" Angela assured. "It's—it's a twisted version of—

"Me." She interrupted. "I've been following her so I can catch her before she does something stupid a-and just lock her away forever."

"Uh, Charlie?" Sam frowned deeply. "That's not an answer."

"Sam's right." Dean agreed. "We'll go back to Oz, and we'll—we'll get the key from the wizard of douche, and we'll put you back together."

"Even if I did want her back… Look, dark me broke the key." Charlie explained. "There's no way to get back to the wizard."

"Okay, okay, first things first," Sam pursed his lips. "We need to find dark Charlie before she finds the drunk driver. So, we know Barbara gave up her old bank statements, right? That means dark Charlie will probably follow the money back to whoever made the payoffs."

"That's what I would do." Charlie nodded.

"Alright," Sam replied.

"I'll get some refills." Angela stood up and walked to the bar.

"We need you… to hack into Barbara's bank accounts." Sam explained as he pulled out his computer.

"I can't." she pushed the computer back to Sam.

"What?" Dean frowned.

"It's bad." Charlie reminded. "I told you—being good is annoying."

"How about this—how about you guide me through the process, and then I'm the bad one?" Sam suggested.

~/~\~

"Okay, so, Barbara's payments all came from offshore accounts, which were routed through dummy corporations, which have all gone belly-up," Sam explained.

"Alright. They all lead back to this guy?" Angela asked.

"Russell Wellington." Sam nodded. "And according to his personal records, he had a-a car that was reported stolen the—the week of the accidents, a-a car that was never recovered. And after the supposed 'theft,' he went on a sabbatical from work for two weeks and returned to work with bruises and a broken ankle."

"So this is him." Charlie murmured. "This is the man who, uh…"

Dean closed the computer. "And you're done. Sam, Angie."

Dean pulled the couple to the side to consult with them.

"Hey, guys," Charlie looked up at them. "Secrets are bad."

"Charlie, I don't think you should be anywhere around this piece-of-crap salesman," Dean replied bluntly.

"And—and I don't think that finding dark Charlie and locking her up is gonna work," Sam added. "I mean, she may be… dark, but she's still a part of you."

"They're right, Charlie. And you know it." Angela added gently.

"You're right." She nodded. "I hate it, but you're right. Okay. Let's go to the bunker. Baum used the key to Oz. Maybe there's something in the Men of Letters files about the key. If we fix it, we can get back to Oz."

"Alright, you guys dig into that. I'm gonna keep an eye on Russell and, uh… wait for dark Charlie to show up." Angela replied.

"Are you sure, kiddo?" Dean frowned.

"Angie, maybe—maybe Dean and I should be the ones…"

"No, no, no." she interrupted. "I got it. It's, uh—I just can't believe I have to protect this jerk."

"No, you got to protect them both." Sam reminded. "I mean, if dark Charlie gets hurt, then…"

"So do I, so… be careful," Charlie added.

"Got it." Angela nodded before leaving.

"Is she okay?" Charlie asked as Sam picked up Grace.

"Uh… We'll tell you on the way." Sam replied. "Come on."

~/~\~

Angela sat in her car and saw Russell pull in and get out of his car. Angela walked into the waiting room, signed her name on the list, and then took a seat among a group of people.

~/~\~

_Lebanon, Kansas_

"Okay, here we go," Sam started. "Clive Dillon. He is the Man of Letters that first discovered the key to Oz. So, according to this incident report, Clive went to Oz, but he left the key on Earth, and then L. Frank Baum found the key and went to rescue Clive in Oz."

"That's when Dorothy snuck along for the ride and got stuck there," Charlie noted.

"Right." Sam nodded. "And then after Baum rescued Clive, Clive came back and retired."

"You can retire from the Men of Letters?" Charlie quirked a brow.

"Well, apparently, they put him in some sort of, like, uh witness-relocation program," Sam replied.

"Where did he end up?" Dean asked.

"Let's find out." Sam shrugged.

~/~\~

"Mrs. Presley? Mrs. Presley?" the office assistant called out.

"Yes," Angela looked up from her magazine. "Yeah. Hi. Uh, actually, I'm, uh, you know, really into this article on, uh… mammograms. Riveting stuff. If somebody else wants to go…" she looked around the room to see that it was empty. "Right. Yes. Okay. Well… Let's do this."

The office assistant smiled and showed Angela into Wellington's office. "Mrs. Presley for you, sir."

"Is that it for the day?" Russel asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Okay." Russell nodded. "You can head out. Uh, I need my, uh, dry-cleaning taken to the lake house, and, uh, pick up Pepper and take her to the dog groomers, okay?"

"Yes, sir." The office assistant repeated before leaving.

"Thank you," Russell replied. "Mrs. Presley, Russell Wellington. Please have a seat. So… What can you tell me about what you're looking for today?"

Angela smiled softly as she sat down. "Uh, right. Well… Let me describe my dream home."

~/~\~

_Lebanon, Kansas_

"The Men of Letters gave Clive a new name, a new house, both of which are still listed," Charlie commented. "I think Clive might still be alive."

"Y—well, he'd be, like 100-something," Sam replied.

"Time passes differently in Oz," Charlie replied. "It's close by. Let's go look. If he's still kicking, he is the only person who might be able to fix the key to Oz."

"Alright, you guys go," Dean replied. "I'll stay back with Grace."

"Okay." Charlie and Sam replied.

~/~\~

"I'm not saying that I have to have a jacuzzi," Angela shrugged. "I'm just saying that I really like bubbles."

"Uh, Mrs. Presley, look, I'm just gonna stop you right there," Russell started. "Judging from your cheap shoes and your faded jeans, I'm guessing the only house you're in the market for comes with wheels. Now, look, I'm a busy man. My time is extremely valuable. I prefer not to have it wasted by some hayseed."

Angela narrowed her eyes slightly. "I'm willing to buy if you're willing to sell. So, why don't you show me what you got?"

"Well, I can show you the door," Russell replied, picking up the phone, but Angela quickly broke off the call. "Who the hell do you think you are?!"

"I'm the woman who's gonna save your life," Angela replied.

"Excuse me?" Russell's brows furrowed.

"Hill and Oak Street. Station wagon with a man and a woman in it, on their way to pick up their little daughter from a slumber party." Angela reminded. "That ring a bell?"

"I-I-I-I don't know what you're talking about." Russell stammered.

"Oh, no, you wouldn't, 'cause you were too drunk to remember anything that night." Angela retorted.

"I think you have me confused with somebody else," Russell replied.

Angela glared at the man icily. "Or somebody that cares. Or maybe somebody who wouldn't pay people off to cover up manslaughter."

"You're insane." Russell accused before the lights suddenly went out. "What the hell is going on?"

"Stay here. Do not leave this room." Angela replied firmly before walking out to investigate.

~/~\~

"Charlie," Angela started. "Let's talk about this."

"You Winchesters and your talk." Dark Charlie rolled her eyes. "Blah, blah, blah, repressed feelings. Blah, blah, blah, passive aggression."

"Come on, Charlie." Angela pleaded. "You don't want to do this."

"I don't want to hurt him." She shrugged unconvincingly. "I just want to talk."

"Yeah, like you talked to all the others?" Angela scoffed.

"You're right." Dark Charlie pursed her lips. "I got out of hand. But this was never about revenge."

"Right," Angela replied, clearly not believing her.

"I want him to see my face." Dark Charlie replied. "I want him to see what he did to me… to us. That's all. Please, Angie. I deserve that. And then we hand him over to the cops." She added, offering Angela her knife.

"Okay," Angela replied hesitantly, taking the knife.

~/~\~

"Mrs…" Russell trailed off as Dark Charlie walked in. "Celeste."

"No one's called me that in a long, long time." Dark Charlie replied.

"Uh… I am so sorry." Russell apologized. "What I did—it… I was young. I was stupid. What I took, I… I can never give back to you. But what I did after the accident, that never should have happened. And I wasn't drunk for that. I was stone-cold sober. It was selfish… and wrong. And I should pay for it. And I will pay for it."

"You took everything from me." Dark Charlie glared.

"Please…" Russell whispered. "Celeste, I am so sorry."

"Russell? I forgive you." She turned, slammed, and locked the door.

"Wh—

Charlie grabbed Russell's letter opener and stabbed him brutally with it before leaping out of the open window.

"Charlie! Charlie!" Angela called from behind the door. "Don't do this, Charlie!"


	22. There's No Place Like Home Part 2

Sam and Good Charlie were in her VW on the way to Clive Dillon's house, while Dean had chosen to stay at the bunker with Grace. Suddenly, Sam's phone started to ring.

"Angie," Sam greeted. "Hey, hold on. I'm putting you on speaker. What happened?"

 _"It's over,"_ Angela replied cryptically.

Sam's brows furrowed. "What do you mean, 'it's over?'"

 _"She got to Russell. She killed him."_ Angela replied.

"Oh, my God." Good Charlie's voice cracked.

 _"Charlie, if you can hear me, I'm so sorry."_ Angela apologized.

"It's not your fault," Charlie replied. "It's mine."

 _"No, no, no. Don't—don't say that."_ Angela stopped her. _"This is not on you."_

"Alright, let's, uh—let's try and stick to the plan, guys." Sam reminded.

 _"Did you guys find a way back to Oz?"_ Angela asked curiously.

"Maybe." Sam sighed. "Uh, look, t-the Man of Letters who originally found the key—he's still alive. He lives in Junction City under the name Michael Carter. I'll text you the address. Just come meet us, babe."

 _"Alright. I'm on my way."_ She replied before the call ended.

~/~\~

Angela sat at the bar, staring at her full shot glass.

"Are you gonna stare at that all night?" the bartender quirked a brow.

"I'm pacing myself," Angela muttered.

"She's cute." Dark Charlie smirked as she took a seat next to Angela.

"You lied to me." Angela glared.

"You lied to yourself." Dark Charlie countered. "That's kind of your move. Something's off about you, though, isn't it? It's always something with you Winchesters."

"I've made mistakes. But I'll pay for mine." Angela replied. "And you'll pay for yours."

"Come on, Angie." Dark Charlie rolled her eyes. "I'm not the monster here. He was. He got what he deserved. You know I'm right. You know what I learned about being dark? It sets you free. And part of you knows that's right, too."

~/~\~

_Junction City, Kansas_

"Hello?" Clive answered the door.

"Clive Dillon?" Good Charlie asked with a small smile.

"No," he shook his head. "My name is—

"Michael Carter, right." Sam interrupted. "But it was Clive Dillon, wasn't it? Back in the Men of Letters? Back in Oz?"

"You seem to be confused," Clive replied. "There's no Clive Dillon here. And Oz?" he chuckled. "That's just a fairytale. It's best left on the bookshelves where it belongs."

"So, you've never seen this before?" Good Charlie held out half the key to Oz.

~/~\~

"Enjoy." The bartender smirked at Dark Charlie.

"Delicious." Dark Charlie smirked back.

"Alright, listen, Dark Charlie," Angela started.

"Oh, grow up." She scoffed loudly. "There's no right. There's no wrong. There's just us… And them."

"Yeah, well, there's not gonna be a you for very much longer." Angela retorted.

"Uh-oh," Dark Charlie mocked. "Did princess me find a way back to Oz?"

"That's right." Angela nodded. "Yeah, a former Man of Letters, retired, in Grantville, two towns over. They're gonna fix the key to Oz, find the wizard, and put you back to where you belong."

"Back into Charlie? Is that where I belong?" Dark Charlie asked. "Well… Hm. We'll just see, won't we? In the meantime… I'm gonna ask her," she indicated the bartender. "To dance."

Dark Charlie followed the bartender to the back of the establishment. Angela contemplated her shot and almost took it, until she saw the bartender come out to restock the bar.

"What happened, did my friend strike out?" Angela asked.

"Your friend?" the bartender replied. "She just left out the back door."

Suddenly, Angela heard the rumble of her car's engine being revved. Angela ran outside just in time to see Dark Charlie speed off.

"Dammit!" Angela yelled, pulling out her phone. "Sam?"

 _"Hey,"_ Sam's voice rang through. _"Where the hell are you?"_

"Dick Charlie just hot-wired my car," Angela explained. "She thinks she's on her way to you."

 _"What?"_ Sam asked, clearly confused.

"I told her the wrong town, so I probably bought you a little time," Angela started. "But, uh, just be on the lookout. I'll be there as soon as I can jack a ride."

 _"Thanks. Hurry."_ Sam replied before hanging up.

"Ah," Angela muttered in satisfaction once she found a car with an open door.

~/~\~

_Junction City, Kansas_

"The six keys of Oz were forged from Oz steel," Clive explained. "They can only be repaired in that magical realm."

Good Charlie frowned deeply. "So, there's no going back? I can't put my darkness away?"

"I'm sorry," Clive replied sincerely.

"What happened to you in Oz?" Sam asked suddenly.

"It was in my report." Clive shrugged.

"Your report just said you were kidnapped," Sam replied. "By whom?"

"Bad people," Clive replied vaguely.

"I know that look," Good Charlie retorted. "You're lying. "And lying is—

"Bad." Clive sighed heavily. "Yes, I know. What happened to you, my dear, happened to me."

Good Charlie looked at the man, obviously shocked. "What?"

"A coven of witches grabbed me. They used the inner key on me, unleashed my id." Clive explained. "He was awful. He killed all the witches and went into a tantrum. Was power-hungry, crazy. He became the wizard of Oz."

"Frank's daughter, Dorothy, runs Emerald City now." Good Charlie recalled. "The wizard, dark-you, he is right by her side. If—if—if she's in trouble—

"Well, without the key to Oz, there's no way we can get back to the wizard," Clive replied sadly. "But… There may well be a way… to summon him here." He added as he pulled a gun from a nearby drawer. "If I am mortally wounded, he'll have to come back here to save us both."

"Wait, wait, wait," Good Charlie stopped him. "There has to be another way."

"What he has done is my fault." Clive shook his head. "After all, he is me, and I am him, so… Maybe it's time that both of us answered for our sins. It's the good thing to do, right? Right?"

~/~\~

Angela pulled up to Clive's house in the minivan she stole, with Dark Charlie right behind her.

"I figured you'd lie about where to go to next," Dark Charlie said as they got out of their cars. "That's what I would do."

"What the hell do you want?" Angela demanded.

"I just want to talk to her." Dark Charlie shrugged innocently.

"Oh, you're not going anywhere near her." Angela retorted firmly. "I'm not gonna let you corrupt her."

"Corrupt her?" Dark Charlie snorted.

"You take one more step, I'm gonna put you down." Angela threatened.

~/~\~

"Aah!" Clive exclaimed.

A green glow started emanating from a mirror in the room. The mirror shattered outward and the wizard of Oz stepped into the room, looking down on Clive with disgust.

"What have you done, you fool?" the wizard demanded angrily.

Sam pointed his gun at the wizard, who took away and tied him up with Ozian magic ropes.

"You had but one task—stay alive." The wizard continued. "And you couldn't even manage that."

"Aah!" Charlie yelled in pain as her mouth started bleeding.

~/~\~

Angela punched Dark Charlie square in the face.

"You hit like a girl who never learned how to hit." Dark Charlie sassed.

~/~\~

"Aah!" Good Charlie explained.

~/~\~

"That's it," Dark Charlie taunted. "Let it all out."

~/~\~

"Ow! Ow!" Good Charlie cried.

"Stop this, please!" Sam begged. "Let me help my friend."

"Your friend wanted to be a hero." The wizard retorted. "And you know what happens to heroes? They die." He sneered as he started to force-choke Sam.

~/~\~

"You hurt my friend." Angela glared.

"I learned it by watching you." Dark Charlie shot back.

Angela managed to grab Dark Charlie and easily snapped her arm, breaking it.

~/~\~

"Aah! Ow!" Good Charlie screamed in pain, pointing the gun at Clive. "I'm sorry."

"I forgive you. We both do." Clive replied sincerely.

Good Charlie shot Clive, killing him and the wizard instantly.

"Charlie, hang on. Hey, you okay?" Sam ran over to her.

~/~\~

Sam carried Good Charlie outside. "Angie! Angie!"

"You did it, didn't you?" Dark Charlie whispered as Sam put Good Charlie next to her. "You killed the wizard. I knew it. The magic was in you all this time, Celeste."

Sam handed Charlie the key, and she opened her soul and Dark Charlie got sucked back in, clothes and all.

Sam cradled Charlie as Angela watched, guilt clearly written on her face.

"Charlie," Sam whispered. "Charlie. Hey. I got you. It's okay. It's okay."

~/~\~

_Lebanon, Kansas_

Sam was on the phone while Dean and Angela sat at the table behind him.

"Yeah, she's, uh, she's better." Sam started. "I mean, she's calmed down now. Cas, we got to—we got to find Cain, or… We got to find something, you know? Right. Yeah, I know. I hear you. Okay. You got it. Alright. Thanks." Sam hung up the phone as Charlie entered the library. "Hey. Uh, shouldn't you be resting?"

"I think sleeping for two days in a row is probably enough." Charlie shrugged.

"So… are you…" Dean trailed off.

"Good? Bad?" Charlie raised a brow. "I think I'll just settle for balanced."

Angela watched from her place at the table and then went back to her research.

"Anything about the mark?" Charlie asked quietly.

"Yeah, maybe." Sam nodded. "I found this book. It's a lore book—'The Book of the Damned.'"

"Sounds legit." Charlie nodded.

"It's in a library somewhere in Tuscany," Sam replied. "It might be a dead-end, but Dean and I figured…"

"I'll go check it out." Charlie offered.

"Whoa—

"Look, there's no going back to Oz." Charlie shrugged. "And with the wizard gone, Dorothy will be fine."

"So, does this mean no more adventure?" Sam raised his brows.

"I think we have all the adventure we can handle right here." Charlie chuckled.

"What about—

"Dark Charlie?" she interrupted. "She's, uh… Quiet. I just got to keep moving forward. We all do." She added as she walked toward Angela.

"Charlie, I…" she looked up at her friend with tears in her eyes.

"We are going to fix this," Charlie assured. "I'm not letting what happened to me happen to you."

"But it's already happened." Angela shook her head.

"Cain found a way to live with it," Dean interjected.

"Right." Angela scoffed. "Yeah, after centuries of murder."

"Yeah, well, there's one thing that you have that he didn't," Charlie replied. "You're a Winchester. I forgive you, Angie."

"Yeah, well, I don't." Angela retorted.

"I know." Charlie nodded. "Kind of your move. How's that working out for you, huh?"

Angela stood up and hugged Charlie tightly. "I'm so sorry, Charlie."

"Then prove it," Charlie whispered, hugging Angela back.

"Be careful out there." Sam cut in.

"Does that sound like either of me?" Charlie smirked. "If I find something, I'll call. If not… I'll just keep digging."

"Charlie, thank you," Sam replied sincerely.

"Arrivederci, bitches." Charlie waved before leaving up the stairs.

"You good, kiddo?" Dean asked softly.

"No," Angela replied honestly.

"She's right, Angie," Sam whispered. "You can do this. We can do this, baby."

"Then let's get to work," Angela replied.


	23. About a Boy Part 1

_Lebanon, Kansas_

Angela sat on the floor of the room she shared with Sam and was reading a large book with ancient inscriptions written in it. Sam walked in carrying Grace.

"Hey," Sam greeted.

"Hi, mama!" Grace waved.

"Dean and I caught a case," Sam added as he handed a tablet to Angela with his free hand. "Apparently something is taking people. And leaving their clothes."

"Hmm," Angela looked at the tablet. "Why don't you and Dean check it out? I'll stay here with Gracie."

Sam sighed heavily. "Baby, you haven't left the bunker in a week."

Angela tossed the tablet behind her on the bed. "And?"

"And you can't just live the rest of your life locked up in this room," Sam replied.

"I don't know," Angela shrugged. "I got three hots and a cot. Could be worse."

"Look, baby, I know you're worried about the mark." Sam sympathized.

"Yes, Sam. I am." Angela replied firmly. "Between what I did to Charlie—

"Charlie _forgave_ you." Sam interrupted. "How about you forgive yourself?"

"Because I'm not exactly batting 1,000 here, you know?" Angela shrugged.

"Yeah, I do know that, but staying locked up in here, sitting on the ground, reading the same lore books over and over again, it's _not_ helping you," Sam argued. "You need to get back in the game for your own good. You can beat this, Angie."

"Do you really believe that?" Angela tilted her head skeptically.

"Yeah, you're damn right I believe that baby," Sam assured.

"You know, Dean also told me that you believed in the Easter bunny till you were 12." Angela retorted.

"No, I didn't," Sam argued, pausing for a moment. "Look, I was 11."

"Whatever you say." Angela shrugged.

"So?" Sam sighed.

Angela closed the book. "Okay. Fine."

~/~\~

_Pendleton, Oregon_

Sam, Dean, and Angela were outside of the bar in their FBI suits, talking to a homeless man. Angela held Grace in her arms.

"And then—then—then there was this bright light, and—bam—the dude's just gone." The man recalled. "Nothing left but, uh…"

"Cheap suit and a pair of florsheims?" Dean raised a brow.

"Pretty much." The man replied, earning a nod from Dean.

"You see anyone else?" Sam questioned.

"No, sir, officer." The man shook his head.

"And what about, uh, a chill? Or did you smell any rotten eggs?" Angela asked.

"What?" the man's brows furrowed in confusion. "No, ma'am. Uh… I smelled flowers, though."

Sam's brows shot up. "You smelled flowers? What kind of flowers?"

"Flowery flowers." The man shrugged.

"Flowery flowers," Sam repeated in annoyance.

"Look," the man sighed. "We all know what's going on here, okay?"

"Don't say it," Angela muttered.

"Aliens." The man said.

"He said it." Dean rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, he did." Sam scoffed lightly.

"Dude was abducted." The man stressed. "Believe me, I know. May 2003. Those suckers, they grabbed me, and they probed me everywhere."

"Okay." Dean pursed his lips.

"Thanks for your time." Sam sighed.

"I'm talking everywhere." The man pressed.

"Yup." Sam gave him a thumbs-up as the hunters walked away. "Okay. Okay."

"Well, the wheels just came flying off the bus." Angela scoffed.

"Yeah." Sam agreed. "No cold spots means it probably wasn't a ghost."

"No sulfur means no demons, so that leaves us with what?" Dean asked. "Couple of little green dudes and a bucket of lube?"

Sam scoffed audibly. "Or fairies. Or… angels."

"Ugh," Angela rolled her eyes. "I'd rather have the little green men."

"Alright, Dean and I will go scope out J.P.'s place. You, uh—you ask around inside." Sam suggested, earning a very concerned look from Angela. "Or you know what? We don't have to split up."

"No, no, no." Angela shook her head. "It's fine. I can handle a little 20 questions with the locals, okay?"

"You sure, kiddo?" Dean raised a brow.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be fine," Angela assured.

"Alright," Sam replied, taking Grace from Angela. "Good. Great."

"Bye-bye, mama!" Grace waved.

Sam leaned down and pecked Angela on the cheek before he and Dean got into the Impala. Angela walked into the bar looking slightly nervous.

~/~\~

Angela walked up to the bar and took a seat.

"What can I do you?" the bartender asked.

Angela paused for a moment. "Screw it. I'm gonna believe in myself."

"Atta girl." The bartender smirked.

"Give me something dark and strong," Angela replied. "Hey, did you know that guy that went missing—J.P.?"

The bartender pulled out a shot glass and began to fill it with whiskey. Meanwhile, a woman at the bar overheard Angela's conversation.

"Who's asking?" the bartender demanded.

"Just an old friend." Angela shrugged.

"Look, I'm sorry to hear about what happened." The bartender sighed. "But… guy's a lowlife. That night, I had to kick his ass out of here for stealing my tips. Whatever J.P. got… probably had it coming."

"Ouch," Angela muttered as she hesitantly threw her shot back.

"J.P. wasn't _that_ bad." The woman commented as the bartender left to help another guest.

"You knew him?" Angela asked curiously.

"This isn't exactly _'Cheers,'_ but yeah." The woman shrugged as Angela walked over to her. "And don't get me wrong, I would not buy a used car from the guy." She chuckled. "But he was harmless."

"So, what was his problem?" Angela asked.

"What wasn't?" the woman retorted. "You're in here getting stunned while the sun's still up, your life's a regular Charlie Foxtrot. Trust me."

"I'm Angela." She introduced.

"Tina." The woman smiled.

Angela signaled the bartender for two more drinks.

~/~\~

Angela and Tina had moved from the bar to a table, having been there for a while now. Empty glasses sat on the table and a waitress dropped off two more drinks.

"There you go." The waitress smiled before leaving.

Tina laughed. "How do you know the Royale Motel in Scranton?"

"Me and my dad, we got snowed in there for a week," Angela recalled.

"Well, I was there for about three months after my father drank all our money away," Tina explained. "Lived on white rice and Tic Tacs until they kicked up out. Good times."

"My dad was always working, so I came up with about 101 different ways to make macaroni and cheese." Angela chuckled.

"Seriously?" Tina quirked a brow.

"Oh, yeah." Angela nodded. "I was an only child, what else was I supposed to do?"

Tina laughed and held up her shot glass. "Well, here's to, uh, crappy childhoods."

Angela held up her glass as well and they clinked glasses. "Hey. Alright." She cleared her throat. "Oh," she frowned as her phone started ringing. "Oh. Sorry."

"I should go," Tina replied.

Angela pulled out her phone to see that it was Sam calling her. "Uh…"

Tina got up and grabbed her jacket. "Nice meeting you, Angela."

"You gonna be okay?" Angela's brows furrowed.

"I always am," Tina replied before walking off.

"How're we looking?" Angela finally answered her phone.

 _"Not great."_ Sam's voice rang through. _"Turns out J.P. was about three days from getting evicted. His landlord said the guy blasted Neil Diamond 24/7. And that his bathroom was, 'Like staring into the Devil's butt.'"_

"That's vivid." Angela snorted.

 _"And accurate,"_ Sam replied. _"Dean and I saw it. I had to cover Gracie's eyes."_

Angela smirked. "You saw the bathroom, or, uh—

 _"Don't."_ Sam cut her off. _"So, you got anything?"_

"Yeah," Angela huffed. "I got, uh, jack with two scoops of squat. I don't know, babe. I think we should just call it and night, and, uh—

Angela noticed a large mysterious man walk out of the bar right after Tina.

 _"And what? Angie?"_ Sam asked. _"Hello?"_

"Sammy, I think I got something." She replied before hanging up.

~/~\~

Angela followed the same path Tina and the mysterious man took.

"Tina?" Angela called out.

Suddenly, Angela heard Tina scream and saw a white light appear. Angela pulled out her pistol and rushed over to a smoking pile of clothes by the dumpster. As she examined it, the mysterious man came up behind her. Feeling someone else's presence, Angela turned around. The man grabbed the hex bag hanging around his neck and a white flash appeared.

~/~\~

Angela opened her eyes and looked around the room, noticing that there were bars on the windows. She looked down and noticed that she was now wearing an oversized purple hoodie and a light blue t-shirt.

"What the hell?" she muttered, obviously confused.

Angela tried to open the door, groaning when she realized it was locked from the inside. She attempted to pull on the barred windows, but they didn't budge. She noticed her hands looked different and quickly turned to a dusty mirror. After wiping the dust off with her shirt, her eyes widened when she saw that she had reverted into her 14-year-old self.

"Son of a bitch." She breathed out.

~/~\~

"Seriously?" Angela sighed as she stared at herself in the mirror. She looked down at her clothes and rolled her eyes. "Seriously?"

Tina cleared her throat from nearby. "Hey."

Angela turned around and saw the Tina had also reverted into a younger version of herself. She was in the cell next to Angela, separated by a broken wall.

"What's your name?" Tina asked.

"Angela." She replied.

Tina's brows shot up. "Angela? It's me—Tina."

"What?" Angela's brows shot up.

"Please tell me you know what the hell is going on," Tina replied.

"Honestly, I'm not sure yet," Angela muttered.

"Because I left the bar and there was this…" Tina trailed off.

"A light? A bright light?" Angela finished.

"Yes," Tina nodded. "And then I was here, and I thought this was a nightmare, but… Oh, God, if you're here… It can't be real. This doesn't—

"I know." Angela interrupted. "Just try to stay calm, okay?"

"Stay calm?" Tina asked incredulously. "I'm a freakin' tween, and you look like Miley Cyrus. And we're in some freaky serial-killer basement. I can't—

"Tina, Tina, just—I'm not gonna let anything happen to you, okay?" Angela assured. "Well, anything else happen to you."

"This is crazy." Tina shook her head. "How are you so calm?"

Angela chuckled lightly. "Practice. Who's your friend?"

"I'm not sure." Tina shrugged.

A black-haired kid in Tina's cell was sitting on the cot, staring at the ground with his arms crossed.

"He doesn't talk," Tina added.

Angela narrowed her eyes slightly. "J.P.?"

The kid slowly looked up. Angela smiled and nodded, realizing that was the man they were searching for. The basement door creaked open and the mysterious man from before came down the stairs, leading to their cells. The man opened J.P. and Tina's cell and J.P. began to scream.

"Aah! No!" he cried as the man grabbed him from the bed.

"Hey," Angela frowned. "Hey!"

Angela began tearing into the broken wood that separated the cells.

"Don't!" Tina screamed.

Tina grabbed the man taking J.P. away but he merely swatted her away, causing her to fall on the floor.

"This is freakin' America, man! You can't do this!" J.P. yelled. "No!"

~/~\~

Sam and Dean walked into the bar that Angela had been at. Dean held Grace as Sam pulled out his phone to call Angela.

~/~\~

In Angela's cell, a covered food tray was slid under the door.

"What is it?" Tina asked curiously.

Angela hesitantly took off the cover to reveal a rather large slice of cake.

~/~\~

Sam was still trying to call his wife. The brothers then heard Angela's phone ringing from behind the counter at the bar. The bartender went into Angela's jacket and silenced the phone.

"Hey, buddy?" Dean called out. "Where did that jacket come from?"

The bartender chuckled silently. "My Bar Mitzvah. It was a magical night."

"Yeah, I bet," Sam muttered. He smashed the bartender's head on the counter. "Why don't you try that again?"

"Dumpster." The bartender groaned in pain. "Found it by the dumpster."

"Alright." Sam nodded, looking over to Dean.

Sam let go of the bartender and the brother walked out of the bar,

~/~\~

Tina eyed her slice of cake suspiciously. "They probably poisoned it."

"Yeah." Angela agreed.

"What do you think they're doing to J.P.?" Tina asked.

Angela sighed and hit the wall. "Nothing good."

Angela felt around on the walls looking for a weak spot, or some way of getting out of there. She then began to pull fiercely on the bars on the bed.

"What are you doing?" Tina frowned.

Angela kicked off one of the bars from the bed and picked it up. "Getting us out of here."

She pulled the bed in front of the window as leverage. After getting on top of the bed she began to hack away at the cement holding the bars in the window in place.

"You know, before… I thought you were just another drunk." Tina admitted.

Angela paused for a moment. "I prefer functioning alcoholic."

"Seriously, who—What are you?" Tina questioned.

Angela stopped and sighed heavily. "That… is a long-ass story."

~/~\~

"Mama!" Grace cried, fat tears streaming down her face.

"I know, munchkin." Dean comforted his niece. "We'll find her."

Sam and Dean were walking around where Angela disappeared with their flashlights. Under the dumpster where Angela was last seen, Sam noticed her shoe and pistol. On the pistol, Sam dusted off yellow dust off the handle. He sniffed it and looked up at Dean.

"Flowers."

~/~\~

Angela continued to hack away at the windows. She finally managed to pull one of the bars free. "Yahtzee."

Suddenly, Angela and Tina heard a door creak in the distance. The mysterious man was starting to come down the basement stairs.

Tina turned to Angela. "Get out."

"What?" she frowned.

"Hurry," Tina stressed. "I'll keep him busy."

Angela jumped down from the window and over to Tina. "Screw that. You're coming with me."

"There's no time," Tina replied firmly. "Go. Get help."

"Tina—

"I know you will." Tina interrupted.

The man began to unlock Angela's cell door. Suddenly, Tina started screaming at the top of her lungs and the man got distracted by her. He stopped unlocking Angela's door.

"Help me! Help me please!" Tina screamed. "I need a doctor! I need a doctor now!"

While Tina was screaming, Angela used the opportunity to exit out of the window.

~/~\~

Sam and Dean were researching back at the motel while Grace played on her play mat. Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door. Suspicious of who it could be, they grabbed their guns. After a moment, Sam opened the door to reveal a young Angela.

"Yeah?" Dean quirked a brow.

Angela smirked at the brothers. "Hiya Dean. Sammy."

Sam and Dean lowered their guns, realizing that it was Angela. Sam stared in shock.

"Angie?" he breathed out.


	24. About a Boy Part 2

Angela walked into the motel room leaving Sam and Dean stunned at the door.

"Yeah." She sighed.

Angela calmly crossed the motel room and went into the bathroom. Sam closed the motel room door. Angela went under the bed and pulled out a duffel bag and dumped it on the kitchen table. Sam and Dean were still staring at her with their mouths agape.

"W-wait a second," Sam stammered. "Y-you're a—

"Uh-huh." Angela nodded.

"How?" Dean questioned.

"No clue." Angela shrugged as she loaded and unloaded his gun. "Some scarface-looking guy, bright light. Next thing I know, I wake up looking like Hannah Montana."

Sam's brows furrowed. "Why would someone turn you into—

"Don't know." Angela put the gun under her pants. "Don't care. "Hey, we got any grenades?"

"What?" Sam frowned.

Angela attempted to walk past the brothers, but Sam stopped her.

"Don't—Wait, wait, wait. Wait a second." Sam pleaded. "Talk to us."

"Really, Sammy? Now?" Angela huffed. "I got no grass on the infield, and a girl's gonna die. Sorry if I'm not in a chatty mood. Look, you wanted me back in the game. I'm back in the damn game." She added, walking past the brothers. "Come on."

~/~\~

A middle-aged woman holding grocery bags dropped her motel key.

"Well… Ma'am, allow me." Angela smiled.

Angela bent down and picked up the key, handing it to the woman before walking to the Impala. The woman smiled as Sam and Dean walked out of the motel room, Sam carrying Grace.

"Your daughter is so polite." The woman told Dean.

Dean blinked a few times. "Um… Thanks."

Sam chuckled as he and Dean walked to the Impala. Dean raised his brows.

"What're you laughing at?" Dean scoffed. "You're freakin' wife looks like a 14-year-old."

Sam frowned as they got into the Impala. "Where are we heading?"

"Tell you on the way," Angela replied.

~/~\~

Angela sat in between the brothers as they drove down the dark road. Grace was asleep in the back seat.

"Cake," Sam started. "Why would they give you cake?"

"Well, don't know." Angela shrugged. "I didn't touch it. It was probably poisoned."

Sam kept glancing over at Angela, still obviously freaked out.

"What?" Angela rolled her eyes.

"Nothing," Sam replied unconvincingly. "Okay, not nothing. Look, this is bizarre. Even for us, Angie. This is insane. You—you're like—what, you're like 14? How does it even feel?"

Angela sighed heavily. "Well, I'm me. I'm—I'm old me, but I'm a kid. It's freakin' weird, Sammy. And…"

"What?" Sam and Dean asked simultaneously.

"There was a Taylor Swift song on the bus that I hopped to the motel, and, uh… I liked it." Angela admitted. "I liked it a lot."

"Okay." Sam nodded.

"And I've got like, nine zits!" Angela complained. "And the mood swings—God, I was awful at 14. Gave my dad hell."

"That's puberty for ya." Dean chuckled.

"Yeah, which sucks." Angela groaned. "Again."

"Well, listen," Sam started. "Dean and I checked out the alley where you got jumped, and we found yarrow."

"Which means what?" Angela asked curiously.

"Means we're probably dealing with a witch," Sam explained. "Yarrow's a flower. They use it for a ton of spells."

"Okay." Angela nodded. "We still got some of that witch-killing crap in the trunk?"

"Hell yeah," Sam confirmed. "So, we'll get you changed back, and then light Sabrina's ass up. Right?"

"Uh, yeah, about that." Angela faltered. "It turns out, this whole freak show has an upside," she pulled up her sleeve to reveal that that mark was no longer there. "The mark is gone."

"How?" Dean's brows furrowed.

"Well, I figure if this hoodoo slammed me back into the body I had when I was 14—

"You didn't have the mark then." Dean finished.

"Yeah, and if we reverse the spell—

"Then it's gonna come back." Sam sighed heavily.

"That's what I'm thinking." Angela pursed her lips. "So… maybe we don't."

Sam frowned when he caught on to what she was suggesting. "Wait a second. Are you saying you want to stay like this?"

"No!" Angela exclaimed. "No, but… if it's between being a psycho rage monster/borderline demon or a teenager, well…"

"Really?" Sam asked skeptically.

Angela sighed heavily. "Look, I'm not a fan, either, but… Sammy, this is problem solved. And I'm still me. I can still hunt."

"But we won't be together. We can't be." Sam argued.

"I know," Angela replied sadly. "Some good news, though—virgin liver. So, what do you say when we're done doing our hero thing, we take her for a test-drive?"

"Yeah, sure." Dean chuckled. "I mean… you can drink again in, what, like, seven years?"

Angela's smile fell immediately. "That's not funny."

"That's kind of funny." Dean chuckled.

"That's not funny." She repeated firmly.

"Oh, come on, kiddo." Dean full-on laughed. "It's kind of funny."

~/~\~

Angela and Dean approached the witch's house with flashlights in hand while Sam opted to stay back in the Impala with Grace. Angela and Dean approached the small window that she had escaped from.

"Tina?" Angela asked, noticing that she wasn't in her cell. "Alright, let's go."

"Angie, I'm way too big to fit in that." Dean pointed at the small window.

"First time you ever had to say that, huh?" Angela sassed with a smirk.

"Big talk coming from the girl wearing underoos." Dean retorted.

"Okay, good one," Angela muttered. "Here, why don't you go around back for another way in?"

"Yeah." Dean nodded.

He went around back, and Angela went through the window, back into her old cell. Angela walked around in the basement with her gun and flashlight pointed, ready to strike. She spotted an uneaten piece of cake, like the one she received earlier. As she got further in she pushed aside a bucket, and behind it was a human skull covered in cobwebs.

Angela exhaled deeply.

There was a dark figure watching her from behind, and Angela felt eyes on her and turned around quickly, but the figure was gone. She slowly advanced and was then attacked by Hansel. He had Angela in a chokehold when Dean hit Hansel over the head with his gun, causing him to fall on the floor.

"Don't!" Dean snapped.

"Where's the girl?" Angela questioned.

"Upstairs. Alive." Hansel answered.

"What did you do to us?" Angela demanded.

"Nothing." Hansel frowned. "I'm no witch. I just work for one."

"Crappy gig," Dean muttered. "Where is he?"

"She." Hansel corrected. "And she is the worst person in the world."

"Is that so?" Angela quirked a brow.

"I've been with her for centuries. Things I've seen her do. My sister and I, she made us hurt people, kill people, and when we tried to escape, she caught us and tortured me." Hansel explained. "And then she made me eat poor Gretel's heart."

"Wait. Witch? Gretel?" Dean scoffed. "What, are you saying that you're…"

"Hansel. My name is Hansel." He nodded.

"Hansel?" Dean repeated. "And—and… and Gretel. Hansel and Gretel, like the—like the fable."

Hansel stood up. "It wasn't a fable. It was based on a true story. They just gave it a happy ending."

"Oh, okay." Angela nodded. "We get to barbecue a celebrity. Cool."

"You can't kill her." Hansel shook his head. "You're just humans."

"We're more than that," Dean grabbed a Molotov cocktail off the floor. "We're hunters."

"Ah." Hansel nodded. "Then let me help."

"Help?" Angela narrowed her eyes. "What's in it for you?"

"Because if you're going to fry that candy-coated bitch, I want in," Hansel replied.

"You want to help?" Dean directed his gun at Hansel. "Tell me how to turn her back."

"Dean, it can wait," Angela interjected.

"Tell me how!" Dean yelled at Hansel.

"The hex bag I'm wearing. It will reverse the spell. Squeeze it, and you'll return to your proper age." Hansel explained. "Look, we waste the witch, I give you the cure. Deal?"

~/~\~

"Hansel." Katja greeted as he walked in.

"And pals," Angela added as she and Dean entered behind Hansel.

"Well, our lost lamb." Katja smiled at Angela. "I thought we'd have to go looking for you. Maybe even abandon our home sweet home here. I never dreamt you'd be stupid enough to come back on your own." She chuckled. "Hansel, take care of them."

"Yeah, he's not exactly your biggest fan," Angela replied, now holding the Molotov cocktail.

"Maybe you shouldn't have made him chow down on his sister," Dean added.

"I never made Hansel do anything." The witch retorted.

Angela looked at the witch confused. Hansel quickly grabbed Dean's gun and knocked him on the ground with his elbow.

"Dammit," Angela muttered.

She attempted to light the Molotov cocktail to no avail. Suddenly, Hansel pointed Dean's gun at her.

"They're hunters!" Hansel warned as Angela finally got the lighter working.

"Rumpatur!" Katja chanted.

The Molotov cocktail flew out of Angela's hand, smashing on the wall behind her. Angela surrendered and got on the ground next to Dean.

"Now… Who's hungry?" Katja grinned evilly.

~/~\~

"Don't move," Hansel warned as he pointed the gun at Dean and Angela.

Katja walked up to Angela and felt her arm. "Ooh. Oh, scrawny. We'll have to fatten you up."

Angela forcefully pulled her arm away and glared at Katja. "Don't freakin' touch me."

"Oh, I'm going to do more than that." She grabbed Angela's jaw. "Children. Oh, they're so sweet and innocent." She added as she licked her fingers. "And delicious. You'll see. When I cook her up, I'll give you some, hmm?"

"If you like kids so much, why not go after kids?" Dean questioned. "What's with this whole fountain of youth?"

"Hmm, in the olden days, if a child went missing—ah, the young died all the time," Katja replied as she unraveled garlic. "Now, though, with all your AMBER Alerts and your milk cartons, a person fillets one rugrat, and people get so angry."

"Yeah, I blame Obama." Angela sassed.

"So, I improvise." Katja continued. "I take adults no one will miss and give them back their youth."

"And then Kentucky-fry 'em," Angela muttered.

"It's the only way I can eat in peace," Katja replied.

Dean secretly felt for the pocketknife in his back pocket. Angela noticed what Dean was doing and attempted to distract the witch.

"So, uh, is it worth it?" Angela asked. "I mean, word on the street is people kind of taste like chicken."

"A bit." Katja nodded. "European children are more, uh, free-range, gamier. Americans, though—ooh—they are heaven." She laughed. "Fattier. The meat, so finely marbles, it's almost buttery. I just can't get enough."

"Mmm. Awesome." Angela replied sarcastically.

"No! I am in awe." Katja continued. "This is my first visit to your country. And I have to say God Bless the U.S.A."

"Oh, so you're a tourist," Angela replied.

"No." Katja shook her head. "It's business, not pleasure. An old friend is causing trouble, and the Grand Coven asked me to take care of her. Poor, stupid Rowena."

Angela's brows furrowed. "Wait, Rowena? She got red hair, a thing for ritzy hotels?"

Katja dropped the vegetable she was cooking with and frowned. "How do you know that?"

Dean sprung up and punched Hansel in the face, knocking him to the ground and Angela tackled him. Katja attacked Dean with the knife, but Dean knocked it out of her hand. She in return knocked his knife out of his hand. She then used her power to throw him against the bookcase. Angela was still on top of Hansel when he elbowed her in the face, knocking her off of him. Hansel got on top of Angela and banged her body repeatedly on the ground. Tina gave off a muffled scream as Katja opened the fiery oven. Dean was trying his best to get up, but was too weak. Hansel threw Angela up against the side of the refrigerator.

"Now you'll burn!" he snarled. "Stay down, girl."

"Turn her!" Katja commanded.

Hansel chuckled and Angela spotted a kitchen knife on the ground. Hansel went to touch the hex bag around his neck but it was gone.

"The hell?" he frowned.

He turned around and Angela was holding it by the string. Angela grabbed it and the whole room was illuminated in a bright light as Angela turned back into an adult. She grabbed the knife and plunged it through Hansel's chest. She then stormed over to Katja holding the hex bag and forcefully stuffed it in Katja's mouth.

"No!" Katja cried.

Angela began pushing her into the oven. Once she successfully got her into it, Angela closed the door and let Katja burn.

Katja screamed and banged on the iron door in agony as Angela locked it shut.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, Angela, and Tina were outside of the witch's house. Sam had an arm around Angela's waist while Dean held Grace.

"That was crazy," Tina commented. "Like psycho crazy. And you do this all the time?"

"All the freakin' time." Dean nodded.

"Not all the time." Sam rolled his eyes.

"So… can you turn me back?" Tina asked hopefully.

"The hex bag went up in flames. I'm so sorry, Tina." Angela apologized.

"We may be able to reverse engineer the spell, though," Sam added.

Tina looked at her reflection in the window of the house. "Or maybe you don't."

"Come again?" Sam quirked a brow.

"I got three ex-husbands, 50 grand in debt, and not much else," Tina muttered. "I was… kind of a crappy adult. Maybe I'll do better this time around. Get out of town, get a fresh start. This is my second chance. Everybody wants a second chance, right?"

Angela smiled a small smile. "Sure you're gonna be alright?"

"Like I told you, I always am." Tina smiled.

"Can we at least give you a ride somewhere?" Dean offered.

Tina nodded and turned to walk toward the Impala.

Sam kissed the top of Angela's head. "It's good to have you back, baby."

~/~\~

Tina, Angela, Dean, and Sam stood outside at the bus station, Angela holding Grace. Sam thumbed through some money.

"Alright, here you go. It's all the cash we got." Sam handed off the cash to Tina.

"Thanks for everything." She replied sincerely.

"You stay safe out there, you hear?" Angela replied.

"I will," Tina assured. "And hey, we'll always have the Royale motel, right?"

Angela chuckled and nodded before Tina walked into the bus station. Sam, Dean, and Angela walked toward the Impala.

"So… Grand Coven. Any ideas?" Dean asked.

"Doesn't sound good," Sam muttered.

"Well, sounds like an 80's hair-metal band. You know, lot of hair spray, lot of eyeshadow, lot of keytar." Dean replied, earning blank stares from Sam and Angela. "No? Nothing? Come on, guys. I'm painting a word picture here."

Sam looked down at Angela in concern. "Is it back?"

Angela lifted her sleeve up to reveal the Mark of Cain was back on her arm. "Yeah…"

Sam pulled her closer and sighed softly. "I'm sorry, I-I know you wanted to… But baby, I'm so happy to have you back."

"I know." Angela leaned up to kiss his cheek. "We'll find another way."

"We always do." Sam nodded.

"Let's get out of here." Angela smiled at the brothers.

Angela strapped Grace into her car seat and the three hunters got into the Impala. Dean turned the engine over and put on the radio, Taylor Swift's 'Shake it Off' blaring through the speakers. Dean went to change it, but Angela quickly stopped him.

"Leave it on?" she asked with a small smile.

Dean just rolled his eyes and Sam laughed as they drove off.


	25. Halt & Catch Fire Part 1

_Lebanon, Kansas_

Angela was heading upstairs as Sam and Dean were heading downstairs. Sam held Grace in his arms, and she was babbling to herself.

"Hey babe," Sam greeted, kissing Angela quickly.

"Hey," she replied. "What did Cas say?"

"Uh, good news, bad news," Dean replied. "Bad news—he discovered riverboat gambling. Good news—he thinks he might be closing in on Cain."

"Oh, wow. He thinks he might be." Angela replied.

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "Just east of the Mississippi somewhere in Illinois."

"So, _maybe_ Cas finds Cain in the land of Lincoln. And then what?" Angela asked as she sipped her coffee.

"And then we get him to tell us how to get rid of the mark," Dean replied.

"Don't you think if Cain knew how to remove the mark, he would have done it, like centuries ago?" Angela asked skeptically.

"We won't know till we try." Sam shrugged.

"Baby, I appreciate the effort. I do." Angela sighed. "But trying to find a cure for this thing, i-it's like a dog chasing its tail. There's no end in sight and you just end up dizzy."

"Kiddo, where there is a will—

"There is a case." She interrupted. "Check this out. Iowa teen claims possessed pickup kills driver." She held the tablet. "Let's say we take our own trek to, uh, the Midwest."

~/~\~

_Spencer, Iowa_

The Impala sped down the road and they pulled into a parking lot by a Kasem College sign. They exited the Impala and Sam picked up Grace from her car seat. Dean checked out to coeds walking by.

"Sorry I ever made you leave," Dean commented. "God, they're everywhere. Uh, which one of you is Janet Novoselic?"

"I am." Janet raised her hand.

Sam, Dean, and Angela flashed their FBI badges.

"Agents Grohl, Cobain, and Foster," Sam said.

"Bye." One of the other girls said to Janet.

"I already talked to the police like nine times." Janet huffed.

"Yeah, no this is, uh—it's uh, just a follow-up," Dean replied.

"Yeah." Sam and Angela added.

"I have finals tomorrow." Janet retorted.

"Then we'll make this fast. I promise." Sam assured.

~/~\~

The four of them sat in the college library and Dean continued checking out the girls. Grace sat on Sam's lap, holding her elephant lovey.

"It's like I told the detective," Janet started. "I was drunk, but I wasn't hallucinating. The truck had a mind of its own."

"How so?" Angela asked.

"Like, the air went full blast even though it wasn't on and the radio went crazy and so did Trini," Janet explained.

"And Trini is?" Dean raised a brow.

"Ah, you have to excuse our partner," Sam chuckled. "When it comes to technology, he's a little behind. Uh… he just learned how to poke on Facebook."

"Uh, um, Trini is the nav app we were using," Janet explained. "It—it's like a talking map. You're Gen X. Right."

"Okay, so Trini and everything else in the truck went all _'Christine.'"_ Dean replied.

Janet frowned in confusion. "Who's Christine?"

"It's a Gen X thing," Dean smirked.

"Look, I don't expect you to believe me." Janet shrugged. "But, I swear that truck was hell-bent on killing Billy."

"Did Billy have any enemies?" Angela questioned. "Anybody who might have had beef with him?"

"Maybe his brother Joey," Janet replied. "They fought all the time. It's so sad. They never got to set it right."

"Because Billy died," Dean replied.

"No." Janet shook her head. "Joey did. In Afghanistan."

"Do you know where he's buried?" Sam asked curiously.

"He's not," Janet answered. "Poor guy never came home. I.E.D."

"Did Billy happen to have anything of his brother's on him when he died?" Dean asked. "Uh, dog tags, a hat, something?"

"Just his pickup," Janet replied with a shrug.

"So, the truck belonged to Joey?" Angela questioned.

"Yeah," Janet confirmed. "It was his pride and joy. Billy got it when he died, and, you know, it's a thing."

"Yeah." Dean nodded.

Suddenly, Janet's phone rang. "Excuse me a sec."

Janet picked up her cell phone and walked away.

"So—so what's a thing?" Sam whispered.

"You know, the truck thing," Dean replied, earning blank stares from Sam and Angela. "You honor the deceased by driving their truck. Sam, they wrote a whole country song about it. Why don't you Google it?"

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were at a car impound lot later that night. Angela held Grace and kept watch while Sam and Dean entered.

"Alright, so we're looking for something that used to resemble a pickup truck," Sam noted.

"Alright. Hey, here we go." Dean pointed.

The boy approached the crashed truck and shined the flashlights on the SEMPER FI license place.

"Yeah, marine," Dean confirmed.

Sam shined his flashlight on the driver's seat. "I'm guessing this ain't oil."

"That is ectoplasm," Dean muttered.

"Huh." Sam held up his flashing EMF meter. "Look at this. Joey?"

"Looks like it." Dean nodded.

"Yeah."

"Alright, so big brother didn't get along with little brother, was pissed he was driving his baby." Dean recapped. "I get it."

Sam narrowed his eyes. "What are you saying? If you died and I drove your car, you'd _kill_ me?"

"If you stunk her up with taquitos, probably." Dean shrugged. "Alright, let's do this."

Sam and Dean poured salt and gasoline onto the truck and set it aflame.

~/~\~

Dean, Sam, and Angela were walking as two coeds passed by. Dean turned to follow them and Sam rolled his eyes.

"Hey," he stopped his brother.

Dean turned back around and walked with Sam and Angela. "I'm not gonna make it."

"Focus," Angela replied firmly, adjusting a sleeping Grace in her arms.

~/~\~

The detective ducked under the yellow crime scene tape and walked into the dorm room. Sam and Angela followed, ducking under the tape while Dean just broke the tape and walked in.

"Delilah Marian, the roommate, found her this morning after an all-nighter at the library." The detective explained.

"Strangulation?" Sam asked.

"Sicko used the power cord from the computer." The detective added.

"Suspects?" Angela questioned.

"None yet." The detective answered. "The odd thing was the door was locked."

"Hmm." Sam hummed. "Have you talked to any of the other girls who live here?"

"Well, most of them have already left for spring break." The detective noted. "But the roommate was really helpful. She gave us all of Julie's passwords. And nowadays, the only way to find out anything about teenagers is through social media. Trust me, I got two of them. Excuse me, agents."

The detective gave them a node before heading out the door.

"Oh yeah, sure," Sam replied.

"Vengeful spirit, much?" Dean muttered as he took out his EMF meter.

"Yeah, but is it Joey's or another ghost?" Angela pondered.

"I don't know." Dean held the EMF by the laptop, causing it to light up. "So first it possesses a—a truck, and then it possesses a computer? Both machine-related kills."

"So, what?" Sam scoffed. "You think we're dealing with a _'Ghost in the Machine?'"_

"Maybe." Dean agreed. "But if it is the same ghost, I mean, they usually anchor themselves to a place or thing. How is this one jumping from one machine to the next?"

Sam closed the laptop and picked it up before they walked out of the dorm room.

~/~\~

"We really appreciate your help, Delilah," Angela said sincerely. "We know this can't possibly be easy. Did Julie, by chance, know a student named Billy Bass?"

"Everyone knew Billy." Delilah shrugged. "He was the President of Sigma Theta Delta."

"STD?" Dean asked.

"Yeah. It's the biggest frat on campus." Delilah replied.

"Did, uh—did Julie know Billy's brother Joey, the—the soldier?" Dean questioned.

"I don't think so." Delilah shrugged. "I didn't even know Billy had a brother."

"Did she have any enemies?" Sam asked. "Any reason why someone might want to hurt her?"

"No," Delilah stressed. "Julie was really popular, super-sweet. I can't imagine anyone wanting to hurt her."

"You know we're federal agents, right?" Angela quirked a brow. "Lying to us is a big-time offense."

"I'm not lying, Agent," Delilah assured. "There's just… nothing else to tell."

~/~\~

Dean carried a full tray of food toward Sam and Angela, who sat in the cafeteria. Grace sat on Sam's lap.

"Alright. And a café au lait for the lady." Dean smirked as he handed Sam a coffee cup. "For me…"

"A heart attack?" Angela's brows furrowed.

"This is unreal." Dean grinned. "Look at this. I got Italian. I got Chinese. Serve yourself froyo. College is better than Vegas. What do you guys got?"

"Unfortunately, a lot of nada." Sam huffed. "I—I…" he looked up and stared at Dean with noodles hanging out of his mouth.

"Your uncle eats like an animal." Angela leaned down to look at Grace, earning a giggle from her.

"Hey!" Dean frowned.

"I hit up Julie's Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Instachat, Snapchat, A.I.M., nothing but posts on Rush and _'Fifty Shades of Grey,'_ the movie, not the book," Sam explained.

"Yeah." Dean pursed his lips. "I didn't get half of that."

"It doesn't matter," Sam replied. "Now I'm going through her deleted files."

"You can do that?" Dean asked.

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"Hmm." Dean hummed.

"I mean, nothing ever _really_ gets deleted from the Internet." Angela shrugged. "You knew that, right?"

"Yeah," Dean replied unconvincingly.

"Alright," Sam cut in. "Here we go. This might be something. It's a, uh—it's a deleted Instachat from last night around time of death."

"With who?" Dean asked.

"With PrincessElsa8. Look at this." Sam turned the computer."

"Liar. I know. You'll pay." Dean read. "Well, this Princess Elsa's a bitch. What's 810?"

"810?" Angela tilted her head.

"Yeah." Dean nodded.

"Uh, it's a… I don't know." Sam admitted. "Maybe it's a date."

"Maybe it's a time of day. Or an area code." Dean suggested.

"Uh, area code is for southeast Michigan," Sam muttered. "You know what? Here we go. There are three addresses in Spencer that have 810 in them."

Dean looked down at his food. "I'll see if I can get this to go."

~/~\~

The Impala pulled up across the street from a mailbox with 810 Downs Drive written on it. Inside of the Impala, Sam was talking on the phone while Dean parked.

"Yeah. You got it. Thank you Detective Petranzyk. We will keep in touch." Sam said before hanging up. "So, PrincessElsa8 is not some crazed cyber killer. She is a third-grader from Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin, who is obsessed with _'Frozen.'_ And she was fast asleep when the Instachat occurred."

"So, a hack job," Dean replied.

"That's what I'm thinking." Sam nodded.

The three hunters noticed a woman come out of the house carrying a plastic garbage bag. They got out of the Impala, grabbed Grace, and followed the woman. She picked up bouquets of flowers by a utility pole and put them in the garbage bag. Sam, Dean, and Angela flashed their badges.

"Excuse me, ma'am." Angela started. "May we, uh, ask what you're doing?"

"Um, throwing away dead flowers." She replied obviously. "Is that a crime?"

"Well, it's not a crime," Dean shrugged. "Just a little strange, uh, seeing as how they aren't dead."

"It's not so strange when it feels like they're taunting you." She retorted. "My husband was killed in a car accident here nine months ago."

"I'm sorry. To hear that." Sam replied sincerely.

"Thank you." The woman murmured. "We were newlyweds. Never even made it to our first anniversary. And to have to be reminded of that every time I look out my window or leave the house…"

"Understandable," Dean replied.

"Forgive me, but did you notice anything… weird after your husband's death?" Angela asked softly. "Any strange disturbances or…?"

"I'm not sure what you mean." The woman frowned.

"It's nothing. Never mind." Angela shook her head.

"Any idea who's leaving the flowers?" Dean questioned.

"Some teenage girl." She shrugged. "I think she goes to the college 'cause she's always in Greek letters."

"Do you know her name?" Sam asked.

"No." the woman shook her head. "Uh, she has long red hair."

~/~\~

"This is Agent Grohl again," Dean said into his phone. "Listen, I know I told you to call at your earliest convenience, but scratch that. Call ASAP."

"Look at this," Sam showed Dean and Angela his tablet. "Uh, Andrew Silver, 29-year-old Spencer high school teacher killed in a fatal accident. Uh, the car burst into flames. Silver's body was burned beyond recognition. And he is believed to have been killed upon impact."

"Okay." Angela nodded. "So, Andy the angry ghost—he dies at 810 Downs Drive. And then he torments Julie with 810 on her computer. So, what's his beef with her?"

"Yeah, and what's his connection to Billy?" Sam pondered.

"Does it say where he's buried?" Dean asked.

"He wasn't." Sam sighed. "He was cremated."

"So, no bones, and he's not tethered by any object that we know of," Dean replied.

"Yeah." Sam nodded. "How is Andrew haunting his victims?" he added. "Are you gonna eat all that?"

"Yeah. You guys want some?" Dean offered.


	26. Halt & Catch Fire Part 2

Sam and Angela were talking to Delilah in her dorm room. Angela held Grace in her arms.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked gently.

"Not really." Delilah shook her head.

Dean walked into the room and walked toward Sam, Angela, and Delilah.

"Hey," Angela greeted. "What do you got?"

"Death by decibel," Dean answered.

"What?" Sam's brows furrowed.

"Kyle's brains were jellied by his speakers," Dean explained. "Oh, and get this. The, uh—the clock on his stereo stopped at 8:10."

"8:10?" Angela's brows shot up.

"Yeah." Dean nodded.

"Again?" Sam muttered.

"Mm-hmm." Dean hummed before turning to Delilah. "Look, we know you're the one leaving the flowers. So, why don't you just tell us what happened the night of Andrew Silver's accident?"

"Uh…" Delilah trailed off.

"Delilah, please," Sam begged. "This is the third death in five days. Who knows who's gonna be next."

"I am," Delilah replied. "The car accident… wasn't exactly an accident."

~/~\~

_Billy drove his truck while Kyle sat in the front and Delilah and Julie sat in the back. All of them were on their cell phones, including Billy._

_"Dude, I just retweeted your tweet." Billy laughed._

_"Dude, I just favorited yours," Kyle replied._

_"Okay, here." Julie held up her phone to take a selfie with Delilah._

_"Oh, selfie." Delilah grinned._

_"OMG, I'm such a hag." Julie scoffed at the picture. "I look like I'm 25."_

_"Oh, that's what filters are for," Delilah smirked._

_"Ugh! Ew. Delete." Julie shook her head._

_"Check this," Kyle grinned. "Wait. I'm sending it to you, dude. Here."_

_Suddenly, Billy nearly hit another car head-on, heard the horn, and swerved out of the way. The other car hit the utility pole._

_"Oh my God!" Delilah cried. "Billy, call 911. Call 9—Call 911!"_

_Suddenly, a wire dropped on Andrew's car and sparks set the car on fire, and he was unable to escape the burning vehicle. The girls screamed and Billy sped away from the scene._

_"What the hell are you doing?!" Delilah demanded._

_"I'm getting out of here before the cops come." Billy retorted._

_"We—we just killed that guy!" Delilah argued as she started dialing._

_Billy snatched her phone away. "No. Hey, you're not calling the cops. 'Cause I already have a D.U.I., and if they find out I'm driving on a suspended license, I'm going to jail."_

_"Come on Billy, this isn't right," Delilah stressed. "Help me out here, guys."_

_"It's not our problem, Dee." Julie shrugged._

_"What?!"_

_"Someone else will call the cops," Julie added._

_"Not a word," Billy stressed. "You hear me?"_

~/~\~

"I shouldn't have let them talk me out of it," Delilah explained. "It was wrong. And now we're being punished. Seriously, what are the chances that three out of four of us die in one week? It can't be a coincidence."

"It's not a coincidence," Angela stressed as the brothers salted the area. "It's a ghost."

"It's the vengeful spirit of Andrew Silver," Dean added.

"A ghost?" Delilah scoffed.

"Yeah, they're real," Sam replied.

"Yeah, it's sort of what we do." Dean shrugged.

"So, you're like… Ghostbusters?" Delilah asked.

"Sure." Angela nodded. "First things first, though. You need to stay inside the salt circle while we take care of him, okay?"

"How do you take care of him?" Delilah asked. "Please tell me you know how to take care of him."

"Usually a ghost is tied to an object," Sam explained. "You get rid of an object, you get rid of the ghost. But with Andrew, it's uh—it's different."

Delilah frowned. "What's he tied to?"

"We're working on it," Dean muttered.

"But, if we can figure out how he's traveling, we can figure out how to stop him," Angela added.

"You know, this might be a Shocker situation," Dean noted. "The paper said that he died from a collision, but Delilah says that he died from electrocution. So, maybe that's how he's surfing. He's using the power lines as a conduit."

"I mean, that would make sense with the computer and stereo kills, but not the pickup," Sam replied. "I mean, the truck runs on gas."

"Alright, it's got to be something else then," Dean muttered.

"Alright, you guys go back to the accident site, check it out," Angela instructed. "I'll stay here with Delilah."

Sam nodded and took Grace from Angela, leaning down to kiss his wife. "Be safe."

"Same to you guys," Angela replied. "Love you, Sammy."

"Love you, too." Sam smiled softly.

Angela closed the door behind the brothers and took out an iron crowbar from the duffel bag. She handed Delilah a tissue box.

"You getting tired?" Angela asked.

"No, I'm used to it," Delilah replied. "I stay up all night studying. Mostly to avoid the nightmares. My mom's thrilled with my GPA, but I'm just… miserable. I think about Andrew all the time. And I've never even met the guy."

~/~\~

Sam and Dean walked up to the utility pile and shined their flashlight up to the wires. Sam adjusted Grace in his arm.

~/~\~

"It's pretty crazy to obsess over someone you've never met." Delilah scoffed.

"It's not that crazy." Angela shrugged. "The truth is, I can relate."

"Really?" Delilah quirked a brow.

"I have made more mistakes than I can count." Angela sighed deeply. "Ones that haunt me day and night."

"So… how do you deal?" Delilah asked.

"Whiskey. Denial. I confide in my husband. I do my best to make things right, whatever that may be. I try and be better for my daughter." Angela explained. "For you, maybe it's… maybe it's coming clean. You know, finding a way to ask for forgiveness. But not breaking the bank at your local florist. I mean… real forgiveness. You can't just bury stuff like this. You got to deal with it." She added before her phone started ringing. "Hey, babe. What do you guys got?"

 _"Angie, Andrew's not using the power lines to move,"_ Sam replied urgently. _"He's using the Wi-Fi."_

"Come again?" Angela frowned.

 _"The—the wires that electrocuted Andrew, they—they feed directly into a Wi-Fi tower right across the street,"_ Sam explained.

"So, even ghosts are online?" Angela scoffed.

 _"Apparently,"_ Sam replied. _"I mean, it would explain the truck kill. Billy's cell must have been using the local Wi-Fi signal so, uh, Andrew's ghost must have just hopped onto Trini, that—that nav app."_

"And then Julie's death by computer, Kyle's death by stereo with the wireless speaker," Angela added.

 _"I mean, it makes sense."_ Sam sighed. _"We're all just a bunch of electrical impulses, right? So whenever Andrew died, his impulses just transferred to another current. You got to get Delilah somewhere safe. Turn off all the routers in that Sorority."_

"Oh, yeah. Sure, Sammy. We'll just kill the Internet." Angela sassed. "Wait, can we?"

 _"Uh, no. No, not really, babe."_ Sam replied.

"Alright, so then how the hell are we gonna deal with the lawnmower man?" Angela huffed.

 _"You know what? I have an idea. Do what I said."_ Sam instructed. _"Stay safe. I'll call you back."_

Angela pocketed her phone and looked at Delilah. "You know where the routers are?"

"I have no idea." Delilah shook her head.

Suddenly, the lights and computers started flashing on and off. Andrew appeared on all of the devices and Delilah screamed. Angela started smashing all the screens with the crowbar.

"Is that gonna work?" Delilah questioned.

"Worth a try." Angela shrugged. "Need you to turn off everything that's connected to Wi-Fi."

Andrew was on Delilah's phone screen. Angela immediately took her phone and smashed it before smashing her own phone.

~/~\~

Sam and Dean were at the door of Corey's house. She opened the door and frowned in confusion.

"Hey." Sam and Dean greeted.

"Hey," Corey replied.

"Uh, we're so sorry to bother you, Mrs. Silver," Dean apologized. "But we have an emergency and we really need your help. Now, this is gonna sound strange…"

"It's my husband, isn't it?" Corey sighed. "Come in."

~/~\~

Angela grabbed her duffel. "Come on. Let's go."

"Where are we going?" Delilah asked.

They walked out of the room and into the hallway. Andrew was on computers in all of the rooms.

"Someplace that doesn't have a Wi-Fi signal," Angela replied.

"The basement," Delilah suggested. "The reception sucks down there."

They ran down the hall quickly, noticing that Andrew was on all the screen in the rooms they passed.

"Alright, go, go, go," Angela stressed. "Go, go, go. Run, run."

They finally reached the basement and Angela shut the door, immediately salting it.

"I thought the salt didn't work," Delilah commented.

"Because of the Wi-Fi," Angela replied. "There's no signal down here. There's no computers. There's no tablets. There's no cell phones, so Andrew can't bypass it. At least, I don't think he can."

~/~\~

"It wasn't too long after the accident that Andrew started contacting me," Corey said.

"Contacting you how?" Sam asked.

"Online," Corey answered. "At first I thought it was a joke, that someone was playing a cruel joke on a grieving widow. But Andrew knew things, things that only he and I would know—inside jokes, the code to our alarm, my obsession with Lifetime movies. It was then that I knew I had my husband back, even if it was just online."

"Did you never think to ask him what he was?" Dean quirked a brow.

"Come on, Agents." Corey scoffed. "I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I knew he was a ghost or something, but… I didn't care. He was my husband. And… it was great. Romantic, even. He'd send me love notes. We'd stay up all night reminiscing. But then, he started acting strange."

"What do you mean, strange?" Sam asked curiously.

"I don't know." She shrugged. "He'd just disappear, radio silence. And then, out of nowhere, he'd start emailing again. But he was different, focused."

"He was focused on what?" Dean pressed.

"Revenge," Corey whispered. "When the kids at the college started dying, I thought it might be Andrew. But what was I supposed to do?" she asked incredulously. "Call the cops and tell them the ghost of my dead husband was picking off co-eds? But mostly, I just didn't want to face the truth. Because I knew it was revenge that brought him back, and if I tried to stop him, that he might go away. And I didn't want to lose my husband again."

~/~\~

"Just try and stay calm, alright?" Angela said as a vibrating noise started. "What was that?"

"I don't know," Delilah replied honestly.

Angela began looking under couch cushions and found a cell phone ringing on silent. Andrew appeared and Delilah screamed. Angela approached Andrew with the crowbar, but Andrew flung her across the basement.

"Please don't kill me," Delilah begged tearfully. "We didn't mean to hurt you. It was an accident. I swear. If I could do it over again, I would have done the right thing."

Andrew began to choke Delilah, but Angela hit the ghost with the crowbar, and he disappeared.

"Let's go," Angela commanded.

"Where?" Delilah asked.

"The door," Angela muttered.

"It's locked," Delilah added.

"Andrew, listen to me," Angela called out. "You have every right to be pissed." She picked up the cell phone and sent a 911 text. "But take it from me… the more you kill, the crazier you'll get. The blood fuels the rage. So, it looks like to me you've got two choices. You can keep killing and become something that you won't recognize, or you can move on 'cause that is the only thing that is gonna give you peace. So, it's up to you. Pain or peace."

Andrew appeared behind Angela and pushed her through a door. Delilah screamed loudly. Angela managed to pull herself up and Andrew appeared and began to choke her. Delilah held up the cell phone as Corey face messaged.

 _"Andrew?"_ her voice rang out. _"It's Corey. Please listen to me. You have to stop this."_ She pleaded. _"Revenge—it's hollow. And it's pointless. It won't bring you back. I should have said this earlier. But, I couldn't let go. But it's time… for me to let go and for you to do the same. Please. I'm begging you."_

Andrew let go of Angela and stared at Corey on the screen.

 _"Do this for me."_ She said through tears. _"Do it for us. Goodbye."_

Andrew closed his eyes and disappeared, now at peace once and for all.

~/~\~

The three hunters pulled up in the Impala to Corey's house with Delilah next to Grace in the back seat.

"You sure you want to do this?" Dean asked.

"Yeah." Delilah nodded. "I should have done this a long time ago."

Delilah exited the Impala and walked up to Corey's door, knocking a few times. Corey opened the door, looked at Delilah, and at the three hunters in the car.

"Come in." Corey offered.

"Looks like Andrew wasn't the only one who chose peace," Sam commented.

"Yeah." Angela rested her head on his shoulder. "Looks like. I think I'm gonna follow his lead, too."

"What do you mean?" Sam's brows knitted together in curiosity.

"My peace is helping people. Working cases." Angela replied. "That's all I want to do."

"Is this about the mark?" Sam asked.

"I'm done trying to find a cure, baby," Angela replied, sounding slightly defeated.

"Kiddo, Cas is _so_ close." Dean cut in."

"To what?" Angela asked. "We don't even know if there is a cure. So far, we've got nothing. We have found nothing at the Men of Letters library. Metatron may or may not know something. And maybe Cas is onto something with Cain."

"Maybe. Yeah, maybe. Nothing is guaranteed, Angie." Sam replied. "So, what? We can't just stop fighting."

"Yes, we can." Angela murmured.

"So, this is it?" Sam frowned deeply. "Y-you're just gonna—you're just gonna give up."

"No." Angela shook her head. "No, I'm not just gonna give up. I appreciate the effort, okay? From both of you. I do. But the answer is not out there. It's with me." She explained. "I need to be the one calling the shots here, okay? I can't keep waking up every morning with this false hope. I got to know where I stand. Otherwise, I'm gonna lose my damn mind. So, I'm gonna fight till I can't fight it anymore." She pursed her lips. "And when all is said and done… I'll go down swinging."


	27. The Executioner's Song Part 1

_West Livingston, Texas_

"The Zodiac?" Dean asked as he drove.

"Seven victims," Sam replied.

"Dahmer?" Angela asked curiously.

"17," Sam replied easily.

"That's some _freaky_ stuff, man," Dean muttered. "It's a whole new side of you."

Sam rolled his eyes in annoyance. "It's called true crime, Dean. It's a hobby."

"No." Dean shook his head. "Bass fishing, needlepoint… that's a hobby, okay? Collecting serial-killer stats… that's… that is an illness." He added as they turned into the prison entrance. "Get your badges."

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

The Impala pulled up to an intercom at the prison gate.

"Hello," the voice greeted. "State the nature of your visit."

"From the office of the Inspector General," Dean replied. "Got an appointment with the warden."

"Thank you." The voice replied. "Parking is to the left. Look for visitor parking only."

"Alright, so what are the stats on this, uh, vanishing act here?" Dean asked as he found a parking space.

"Tommy Tolliver was convicted of six murders back in '09, but those just the ones that stuck," Sam explained. "According to the news, he escaped from a locked cell on death row, this inexplicable, Houdini-esque escape."

"So, what are we thinking?" Angela pondered. "Some sort of mass-murdering magician?"

"Yeah, or a teleporting demon or a who knows what that can walk through Supermax walls," Sam replied. "Could be in our wheelhouse."

"Yeah, your wheelhouse. Hobby." Dean scoffed, shaking his head.

~/~\~

The warden was crouched down in Tommy's cell, presumably looking at the drop of blood on the floor.

"Warden Skeiff?" Dean asked.

The warden stood up and faced the hunters at the entrance to the cell. Sam held Grace in his arms.

"Uh, Inspectors Moore, Ranaldo, and Gordon." Sam introduced. "We spoke on the phone."

"Yeah. Welcome to death row." The warden replied. "You brought your kid?"

"Couldn't get a babysitter." Angela shrugged in response.

"Mm." the warden hummed. "Have a look. But good luck finding anything out of TDJC compliance."

The warden left the cell and Angela signaled to Sam and Dean to follow the warden. The brothers turned to leave as Angela pulled the EMF meter out with her free hand.

"So, why don't you tell us what happened?" Sam asked.

"The night Tolliver disappeared, our little ship was running as tight as ever, and I got documentation to prove it." The warden replied firmly.

"Do you stand by what the press was saying…" Dean trailed off as Angela walked around the cell with the EMF meter. "Locked cell, no security breach, no guard misconduct?"

"Which press?" the warden narrowed his eyes. "Mainstream media is calling for my head, said I was grossly incompetent. But the tabloids, they're saying…"

"They're saying it's magic, that Tommy pulled off some dark miracle to escape." Sam finished. "You saying you believe that?"

"I'm saying there was some kind of magician on the block last night, but it wasn't Tommy." The warden replied.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, Angela, Warden Skeiff, and a guard were sitting in the surveillance room, looking at the monitors. Grace sat in Sam's lap, playing with his tie.

"That's right before Tolliver vanished." The warden pointed.

"Was that a brownout?" Sam frowned.

"That was my thought, but then…" the warden trailed off.

On the screen, Cain could be seen walking onto the cellblock. Sam's frown deepened.

"Is it one of the guards?"

"Nope." The warden shook his head. "But I don't know who he is, how he got in, or how he and Tolliver got out."

"Can you zoom in on that?" Angela asked.

"Can and have." The warden replied. "Too dark to make out much of anything."

"Do it. Freeze it. Blow it up." Angela instructed.

Angela stared at the image of Cain on the monitor and held her forearm as Sam and Dean looked over in concern.

~/~\~

Angela walked away from a food truck, talking on the phone, and carrying a tray of food. She hung up and got into the Impala.

"So?" Dean asked.

"Cas still isn't answering." Angela shook her head.

"Great," Sam muttered. "Well, I have been looking into Tommy Tolliver, seeing if I can figure out why Cain went to the trouble of springing him."

"And?" Angela raised her brows.

"Still pretty unclear," Sam replied. "I did find this blotter out of Orlando about his dad, Leon Tolliver. Uh, live father, like son. Convicted felon, fresh warrant for an assault charge, but he's gone missing, hasn't been seen in a week."

"You think the two are connected?" Dean asked.

"I mean, the police just assumed he fled the warrant, but if Cain took Tommy, it might not be a coincidence," Sam replied.

"So, what, Cain's got a vendetta against the entire family?" Angela frowned.

"Maybe." Sam shrugged.

Angela's phone started ringing and she pulled it out of her pocket. "It's Cas." She noted, putting the phone on speaker. "Hey, Cas. Where are you?"

 _"Illinois,"_ Castiel answered.

"Hey, Cas, we got a lead," Angela replied. "Cain abducted a Texas death row inmate named Tommy Tolliver."

 _"He's dead,"_ Castiel replied immediately.

"What?" Angela's brows furrowed. "How do you know?"

 _"Call it an educated guess,"_ Castiel muttered. _"Cain has been very busy."_

"Okay, where are you?" Angela asked. "We'll come to you."

 _"I'll call you back,"_ Castiel said after a few moments of silence.

~/~\~

_Lebanon, Kansas_

"I'm sorry I couldn't bring better news, Angela." Castiel apologized sincerely.

"It's not your fault, Cas," Angela replied softly.

"Thank you." Dean nodded.

"Alright, the sheriff gave me a few more names," Sam commented. "Some preliminary I.D.s on the bodies."

"And?" Angela asked.

"And it seems to fit Cas's story." Sam sighed. "I mean, there's no way to tell the relation to Cain, obviously, but he's wiping out entire families, one after another."

"So, who's next? Is he done with the Tollivers?" Dean asked.

"Uh, I think so. I mean, Leon didn't have any siblings or any other children I can see, and Tommy was never married, so I…" Sam trailed off. "Oh, come on. Dammit."

"What?" Castiel frowned deeply.

"Tommy _did_ have a son, estranged, who lives with his mother in Ohio, uh…" Sam muttered as the birth certificate popped up on the screen. "Austin Reynolds, 12-years-old."

"Is the kid still alive?" Angela asked curiously.

Sam opened up a Facebook page and nodded. "As of an hour ago, yeah. He updated his status. But, I mean, come on. It's a kid. You don't really think Cain would…"

"Yes, he would," Castiel replied grimly.

"There were old men in those graves, Sammy, women," Angela replied. "I mean, you heard Cas. It's a fire sale. Everyone must go." Angela turned and walked away.

"Baby, where are you going?" Sam asked, brows furrowed.

Angela turned back to face Sam, Dean, and Castiel. "We know where Cain's gonna be. The kid's in danger."

"Okay, so, what, we track him down to Ohio, and then what?" Dean questioned.

"Then I'll do what I have to do." Angela pursed her lips. "I'll kill Cain."


	28. The Executioner's Song Part 2

Angela was in her room, packing her bag when Sam walked in with Grace trotting along beside him.

"Mama!" Grace held up her hands. "Up! Up!"

Angela smiled softly at her daughter and picked her up. "Hey, sweet girl."

"Hey." Sam greeted.

Angela looked up at Sam and swallowed heavily. "When he gave me the mark, Cain said that this day would come, that after I killed Abaddon, I would have to come and put him down."

"Great. So, you're taking orders from a madman." Sam replied.

"No," Angela shook her head. "He wasn't mad then."

Dean and Castiel stood in the doorway to Sam and Angela's room, watching the couple.

"Cain resisted the mark for a long time, then I came, kicking up trouble about the blade." Angela continued. "I sent him down this path. This is on me."

"It doesn't mean you have to be the one to go after him, baby," Sam argued.

"Yes, it does." Angela murmured. "And there's only one thing that can kill him."

"The blade." Sam realized.

"Angela's right," Castiel commented.

"Angie, wielding the blade against Cain himself…" Sam trailed off. "Win or lose, you may never come back from that fight."

Angela looked up at her husband, tears in her eyes. "I know, Sammy. I know."

~/~\~

Angela sat in her room on the phone with Grace on her lap.

 _"Well, well, well, if it isn't…"_ Crowley's voice rang through.

"Cain's back." Angela interrupted. "He's gone dark, and I need the blade."

 _"Why would I do that for you?"_ Crowley questioned.

"Because you have as much reason to want Cain off the board as anyone. Cain has a kill list, and you're on it." Angela explained. "What do you say, Crowley? You in?"

 _"Yes."_ Crowley huffed.

"Good. I'll text you the location." She replied before hanging up.

~/~\~

_Ohio_

Castiel walked up to Sam, Angela, and Dean who were standing a ways away from the barn. The group had taken Grace to Jody's on the way here.

"Kid here?" Angela asked quietly.

"He's nearby," Castiel confirmed. "Upstairs in the barn. He's playing with a basketball."

"Cain will strike soon. Maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow, but soon." Angela looked over to Sam and Dean. "And when he does…"

"Yeah, we got it," Sam replied. "You charge in with the blade solo. And the kid? What, we just watch and wait until Cain attacks? I thought this was a rescue mission."

"We save the kid after Cain shows," Angela replied.

"We know what Cain's after." Castiel agreed. "That's our only advantage. We want to trap Cain, we use it."

"A 12-year-old as bait." Dean shook his head. "I can't believe what I'm hearing."

"Neither can I," Crowley said suddenly.

Sam, Angela, Dean, and Castiel turned to face Crowley, who was walking up to them.

"What's the matter, Crowley?" Angela quirked a brow. "You suddenly grow a conscience? Too good to put a minor in danger?"

Crowley scoffed audibly. "Don't give a damn about the kid. I'm talking about the risk to us."

"There is no us." Angela retorted. "You're here for one reason. That's to hand me the blade."

"Yeah, about that," Crowley pursed his lips. "Seeing as this is shaping up to be one of those, uh, two-step capture and kill kind of deals, I think your buddies would agree it's better to keep the blade out of your hands until we've got Cain sewn up, just to be safe."

Angela looked at Sam and Dean, who shrugged their shoulders in agreement.

"Now, back to this plan of yours," Crowley smirked.

~/~\~

Sam watched Austin play basketball inside the barn. He turned toward Angela who in turn walked over to her husband.

"So…" Sam trailed off. "If this works and we capture Cain, then what?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we c… If we come to it." Angela replied softly. "You know, last week, when I said that I would go down swinging when the time came? I meant that I was at peace with that. I just didn't realize that time would come so soon, you know, like right now." Angela's voice wavered. "I'm scared, Sammy."

Sam looked down at his wife, tears in his eyes. He wrapped his arms around her tightly and pulled her to him, hugging her with everything he had.

~/~\~

Sam and Dean were inside the barn, sliding the doors closed. Austin stood behind them, further into the barn. There was banging on the doors as Sam and Dean held them closed. The banging stopped and the brothers turned away from the doors to see Cain standing behind Austin. Austin turned around and faced Cain with wide eyes.

"Don't. Please, don't," he begged.

Cain looked over to Sam and Dean before stabbing Austin in the stomach. Austin disappeared in a cloud of purple smoke.

"Illusion spell," Cain commented.

"Oh, yeah." Dean nodded. "The real Austin is long gone."

"18th-century magic," Cain noted as Crowley walked in. "If I had to hazard a guess, Rune of Amaranth."

"Good eye." Crowley nodded. "Something I picked up from my mother."

"Well, I know you fear me. I can only assume…" Cain used his boot to clear away some hay from the floor to uncover a devil's trap. "Oh. Clever. Won't hold me for long, you know."

"It won't need to," Sam replied.

Sam, Dean, and Crowley walked out of the barn and as they passed through the doors, Cain looked up and Angela stood outside looking at Cain. The doors slid closed.

~/~\~

Castiel walked up to the hunters and Crowley, rubbing his head.

"Cas, hey, you okay?" Dean frowned.

"I'm fine." He muttered. "It worked?"

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"My turn." Angela sighed heavily.

"Angie, look, we want to help," Sam replied.

"No." Angela shook her head. "No, with you guys in the ring, it'd just be a liability."

"Angela?" Castiel frowned.

"I'd be too worried about what he could do to you… Or what I could." She explained. "Plus, I need you guys out here to take out whatever comes out of there. And I'm serious. I mean _whatever_ comes out."

"Happily." Crowley stood next to Angela.

Angela held up her hand and Crowley held up the First Blade.

"What guarantee do I have that you'll give it back when you're done?" he quirked a brow.

"If I survive and I come out of there and I _don't_ give it back, you'll all have a much bigger problem on your hands," Angela replied.

Crowley pursed his lips and handed Angela the blade.

"Angie?" Sam asked in concern.

"I'm good," Angela assured. "Sammy, can I ask you a favor?"

Sam's brows knitted together slightly. "Of course, baby. Anything."

"Make sure Gracie knows who I was before the mark." She replied, swallowing back tears.

~/~\~

Angela was in the barn with Cain, who was still in the devil's trap.

"Hello, Angela." He greeted. "At a loss for words? Allow me. This is the part where you tell me it's not too late and I can lay down arms, abandon my mission. 'We don't have to fight.'"

Angela walked toward the devil's trap slowly. "I'll spare us the formalities. You're past talking down. Cain, you're fully mental."

"Oh, I prefer to think I've finally gotten clear," Cain argued. "When I made my bargain with Lucifer, killed Abel, I released a stain upon the Earth, a stain deeper and far more lasting than mere precedence."

"Your bloodline's tainted, so you say," Angela replied.

"So I know." He corrected. "Not all killers are my descendants, and not all my descendants are killers, but enough are, enough for me to know that extinguishing them is the least I owe this world. Can you honestly tell me that humanity's not better off with fewer Tommy's and fewer Leon's… Fewer you's?"

"And what about the kid?" Angela tilted her head.

"He could go either way." Cain shrugged. "I prefer to be thorough."

Angela stood at the edge of the devil's trap and Cain smirked.

"How's it feel, Angela, to be holding the blade again?" he questioned.

Angela raised the blade from her side and looked at it. "It feels like a means to an end." She muttered as she stepped into the devil's trap.

"Then do it." Cain narrowed his eyes.

Angela made several attempts to stab Cain with the blade. Cain evaded them all and threw Angela to the ground. She got up and tried again, and again Cain threw her to the ground. Angela punched Cain and as she swung the blade up, Cain grabbed her wrist.

"That seems a bit weaker than I would expect from you with the blade." He commented. "I think you can do better. Unless… You're holding back."

Angela lunged at Cain and he grabbed both her hands. They remained in that grip, struggling for the blade.

"What is it, Angela?" he taunted. "Do you think if you hold back just enough, you won't succumb, that you'll leave this fight the same as you entered?!" he threw her to the ground. "Look to my example! There is no resisting the mark or the blade. There is only remission and relapse!" he punched Angela savagely.

"You told me this day would come." Angela glared. "You told me that I would have to kill you."

"Is that so?" Cain hummed, flinging Angela through a window. "I'm afraid you've misunderstood my intentions here, Angela. When your pet angel found my burial site, I thought about ending him and swatting him like a fly."

Angela pulled herself up and walked back toward Cain.

"But then I thought about you," Cain continued. "Your biggest weakness, the thing I noticed the moment I met you, your courage, your reckless bravado. I let him go, knowing that he would report back to you, knowing you would bring into battle the one thing that can kill me, the one thing I truly want." He held out his hand and the blade flew out of Angela's hand. "Oh, it's been too long," he picked it up. "That old feeling makes me wonder how I ever had the strength to resist."

Angela ran to attack Cain, but he grabbed her by the throat and threw her to the ground.

"This may be hard to believe," Cain continued. "In light of what I'm about to do, but I care about you, Angela. I truly do. But I know I'm doing you a favor. I'm saving you."

"Saving me from what?" Angela asked.

"From your fate." He answered. "Has it never occurred to you? Have you never mussed upon the fact that you're living my life in reverse? My story began when I killed my family, and that's where your story will inevitably end."

"No," Angela growled. "Never."

"It's called the Mark of Cain for a reason!" Cain roared. "First… first, you'd kill Crowley. There'd be some strange, mixed feelings on that one, but you'd have your reason. You'd get it done, no remorse. And then you'd kill the angel, Castiel. Now, that one… that I suspect would hurt something awful." He mused. "And then, your surrogate brother, Dean, and I suspect… that would be brutal. Then, your daughter, and that would be even worse. Then!" he exclaimed. "Then would come the murder you'd _never_ survive, the one that would finally turn you into as much of a savage as it did me."

"No." Angela shook her head in denial.

"Your husband, Sam," Cain smirked. "The only thing standing between you and that destiny is this blade. You're welcome, Angela."

Cain raised his hand to plunge the blade into Angela. She grabbed Cain's knife from his belt and cut off Cain's hand that held the blade. Blood spurt from his wrist and Cain fell over, grabbing his severed wrist. Angela got up and grabbed both blades as Cain got to his knees.

"What's the matter?" Cain glared up at her.

"Tell me I don't have to do this." Angela pleaded. "Tell me that you'll stop. Tell me that you _can_ stop!"

"I will _never_ stop." Cain snarled.

Angela walked behind Cain as he lowered his head. She raised her arm and plunged the First Blade into Cain's back.

~/~\~

Angela walked down the stairs to where Sam, Dean, Castiel, and Crowley were waiting.

"Angie?" Sam asked in concern.

"Angela, the blade," Crowley demanded.

Angela looked at the blade, walked toward Crowley, and then handed the blade to Castiel.

"You lied to me." Crowley narrowed his eyes.

"It's not the first time today," Angela admitted. "Cain's list… you weren't on it."

Angela looked at Sam and collapsed onto him, and he held her up. Sam glanced at Dean in concern before looking down at Angela.

"Hey, hey, hey," he murmured. "You did it, baby. Angie, you did it."

Angela looked absolutely devastated as she looked over Sam's shoulder.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were in the bunker, and Grace was still at Jody's. Angela, cut up and bloody, sat at the table drinking coffee while Sam stood by the coffee maker.

"Angie, um, you know, what you did back there, it was incredible," Sam commented. "You know, if you can do that without losing yourself…" he sat across from her. "That's cause for hope, even without a cure."

"Yeah. Maybe." She murmured, not really convinced.

Castiel walked into the room, grabbing her attention.

"So, where's the blade?"

"Somewhere safe," Castiel answered vaguely.

"Good." Angela nodded. "Well, if you guys will excuse me, I think I am gonna go sleep for about four days."

"Of course." Sam murmured.

Angela got up from the table, kissed Sam's cheek, and walked out of the room. Before walking out of the room, she hugged Castiel tightly.

"How is she?" Castiel asked quietly. "Sam?"

"Cas…" Sam looked up at the angel, almost about to cry. "Angie's in trouble."


	29. The Things They Carried Part 1

_Lebanon, Kansas_

Sam sat in the library and Grace sat in her high chair next to him, eating lunch. Sam was researching something on his laptop when Angela walked in. Sam quickly closed his computer, a bit guiltily.

"Hey, babe." Angela greeted. "Check this out."

"Hey." Sam greeted, taking the tablet from her.

"The vic was trained in Krav Maga and jiu-jitsu," Angela explained as Sam read. "Still ended up with her organs drained, and the marrow was sucked completely out of the bones."

"All done, daddy!" Grace smiled as she finished her lunch.

"Good job, Gracie," Sam cooed before looked up at Angela. "So… cannibalism. You thinking a Rugaru?"

"Or a God, maybe." Angela shrugged. "I'll go start packing. Go grab Dean."

"Wait, wait, wait." Sam stopped his wife. "W-what?"

"What, is this not weird enough for you?" Angela raised her brows.

"Well, yeah, it's weird, but, um, I mean, we… we… I mean…" Sam trailed off.

"Great. 10 minutes. I'll meet you guys in the car." Angela replied with finality.

"Great." Sam sighed.

~/~\~

The Impala sped down the road, and Sam was talking on his phone as Dean drove.

"Sam," Angela started. "I know what you're doing over there, babe. Look, we have checked every website, okay? We've checked it twice. Sammy, when we work a case there's always that…" she trailed off. "That point… when we have to face the truth, alright? Even if we don't like it. Well, truth is…" she held out her arm, indicating the Mark of Cain. "There's no way around this. We saw what happened to Cain, okay? I'm not happy about it. But, I got to move on, baby. So, I'm gonna keep doing what we do… while I still can. And I'd like for you guys to be there with me."

~/~\~

_Fayetteville, North Carolina_

Dean, Sam, and Angela walked into the police station. Sam held Grace's hand as she walked next to her father.

"Agents, I gather." The sheriff walked up to them.

"Uh, was it the suits, or do we give off some sort of a Fed stench?" Dean quipped.

"I-it's the suits. What can I do for you?" the sheriff asked.

"Well, uh, we are here investigating the death of private Jackie Prescott," Sam answered.

"Shoot," the sheriff replied. "You drove all the way down from D.C.?"

"Mm-hmm." Dean hummed.

"Yeah, we did." Angela nodded.

"Well, then sorry to waste your time, agents, but we wrapped that one up." The sheriff explained. "Guy that did it was a special forces officer: Rick Willis."

"What makes you so sure it was him?" Angela tilted her head.

"His fingerprints were all over the storage room out on the base where he did it." The sheriff explained. "He even left his dog tags by the body."

"So, is he in custody?" Sam quirked a brow.

"No," the sheriff shook his head. "Bastard drank a boatload of gasoline, then lit himself on fire."

"Well, that's a hell of a way to go," Dean muttered.

"No kidding." The sheriff scoffed. "Left a wife and a baby. Third suicide we seen in six months. Military town. Would you like some cake?"

"Mm. Yeah." Dean nodded with a small smile.

Sam rolled his eyes and cut off Dean's access to the cake. "No, uh, y-you know what? Uh, we're okay."

"No, it's really good." The sheriff assured. "My partner made it."

"It looks great," Sam agreed. "But we're… no, we're alright. Uh, we do have one more question. Were there any bite marks found on the body?"

"No." the sheriff replied. "Vic was killed with a bowie."

"Well, sheriff, thank you for your time," Angela replied.

"Yeah." Sam agreed, picking Grace up.

"Bye-bye." The toddler waved.

~/~\~

"No bite marks." Sam sighed as they walked out of the station. "That rules out Rugaru. So, what? A God?"

"I don't like the sound of that." Dean scoffed. "The guy Molotov-cocktailed himself. That's bonkers. That's like demon-possession bonkers."

~/~\~

Beth was in the kitchen with the three hunters sitting on the other side of the island from her. Grace sat on Sam's lap.

"Rick did it." Best said. "I'm not trying to say that he didn't. But… I mean, he just got back from deployment, and we've all seen what it can do to a soldier's mind. My Rick… when he's home and good… I have to kill the spiders, you know? Rick was a kind soul. He never took more life than he had to."

"Did you, um, notice anything strange, weird, like, uh… violent mood swings? Or weird smells?" Angela asked.

"No." Beth shook her head. "But… Rick was… he was so… He was thirsty."

Dean's brows furrowed slightly. "Thirsty for what?"

"Water," Beth answered. "He'd spend half the day drinking from the garden hose. And then, one night, I caught him in the tub drinking the bathwater. When I told him to stop, it was like he couldn't even hear me. And his skin, it got so dry it bled."

"Did he see a doctor?" Dean questioned.

"I took him to the V.A., but he just got on a list to get on a list." Beth shook her head. "And then, he stopped talking… And he just wasn't himself. I thought maybe it was PTSD."

"Uh, we're very sorry." Sam apologized sincerely.

"You said that Rick was recently deployed," Angela recalled. "Do you have any idea where?"

"No, that stuff is classified." She shrugged. "They don't even let the wives in on it."

"Right." Angela nodded. "Okay, well, we'll, um… We'll leave you alone now, but if something comes up, anything at all, just give us a call."

"There's one other thing," Beth noted. "I ran into my friend Jemma at the supermarket. She's married to Kit Verson, a guy from Rick's team. She thinks Kit came back different this time. Kind of felt like we were dealing with the same thing."

"Thank you," Sam replied sincerely.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were seated opposite Jemma in the living room. Grace sat on Dean's lap.

"Kit's been going through some stuff for sure," Jemma explained. "Um, you know, it takes him a while to get back to normal, but he always does." She added as she handed the three hunters a beverage.

"Thanks." Sam smiled softly.

"And what about you? How are you holding up?" Dean asked.

"I'm okay… For the most part." Jemma answered. "You know, what happened to Rick and Beth, it… it's been hard. 'There but for the grace of God,' you know?"

"Um… May we speak with your husband?" Angela asked gently.

"He, um… He went out last night, but he should be back any minute." Jemma explained. "You know, Kit, he comes back from these deployments, and he needs his space."

"So, he's been out all night?" Dean raised his brows.

"Well… Yeah," she shrugged. "God. I can't even convince myself. Um… I'm worried. This isn't like him."

"Has he been thirsty? Like 'drink out of the dog bowl' thirsty?" Sam asked curiously.

Jemma's eyes widened slightly. "How did you know?"

~/~\~

As the three hunters and Grace came out of the house, they noticed Cole leaning against the Impala out front.

"Recognized your wheels," Cole commented.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Angela glared.

"Jemma called me in," Cole replied. "I've known Kit since we were military brats raisin' hell on the same base. He's a good man."

"Well, no one's saying he's not." Dean retorted.

"Oh, really, now?" Cole asked skeptically. "So, what are you three, uh, here for, Jemma's sweet tea? You want to tell me why you're really here?"

"We're working a case," Sam answered.

"Oh, Kit's case?" Cole questioned.

"Honestly," Sam sighed. "We're not just sure yet, but, um, it's looking like it."

"Mm." Cole hummed. "Says you."

"There's a murder-suicide in town. Your buddy Kit?" Angela replied. "Same unit as the killer. Same whacked-out antics. So…"

"Look, we're not going anywhere, alright?" Sam added. "And if you care about your buddy, you'll let us handle this."

"Mm. Nah, I think I'm gonna be coming with you." Cole replied.

"Oh, the hell you are." Angela scoffed.

"I got contacts. I can help." Cole replied firmly.

"You really can't." Angela shook her head.

"For example, a friend of mine works military intelligence… owes me a favor." Cole shrugged.

"Would he know what Rick and Kit's mission was?" Sam asked.

"Sure." Cole nodded. "And he'd tell me all about it."

"Okay, fine." Angela conceded.

"No, it ain't. You know, I figure what's going on here… I stick to you three like flies on roadkill, make sure my buddy comes home in one piece." Cole replied. "Look, I know what you three are thinking, but we are not gonna hunt my best friend, who happens to be a friggin' war hero, by the way. We are gonna find him. And that's the difference."

"Hey, man," Dean sighed. "We're right there with you, okay? Kit's a hero, but…"

"But you got to prepare yourself." Sam finished. "Kit might not be Kit anymore."

~/~\~

"Yo. Sustenance." Sam walked over to the table with a tray of food.

"Listen, we got nothing on cattle deaths, freakish weather… none of it." Angela huffed.

"So… Probably not a demon." Sam concluded.

"So, maybe it's just not your kind of thing at all," Cole interjected.

"Well, when in doubt… eat." Dean shrugged.

"Okay, here we go," Cole muttered. "I got an encrypted e-mail here from my friend at the M.I."

"And?" Angela raised her brows.

"Well… Kit and Rick were sent to rescue an American P.O.W. being held in Iraq… the Najaf cemetery." Cole explained.

"Cemetery?" Dean's brows furrowed.

"Bastards use 'em as a, uh… as a prison," Cole replied. "I got some footage here from the camera on Willis's helmet during his last mission with Kit."

 _"Okay, go!"_ a voice from the video rang through. _"Down. Get down. Clear. Major Jones?! Major Matt Jones?!"_ it called. _"Hey, right here. Hey, Major Jones, is that you? Hey. Hey. I'm captain Kit Verson. We're here to bring you home, man. Oh, what the hell?! What the hell was that?!"_

"I'm guessing that didn't have a happy ending," Dean said as the video ended.

"No, it did not." Cole shook his head. "Mission failed. And that P.O.W. got shot by guards."

"Really? That's what happened?" Sam asked.

"That's the official story," Cole confirmed.

"Alright, so, Kit and Rick came back screwed up. We know that much." Angela replied.

"Well, and then Rick jumped the high dive," Cole added. "God, Kit."

"What was that?" Dean frowned as Sam's phone beeped.

"I set my phone to get local alerts." Sam pulled out his phone.

"Is it bad?" Cole asked.

"It's bloody," Sam replied.

"Alright, let's get out of here." Angela sighed.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, Angela, and Cole were in the Gas'n'Sip parking lot, where Kit ate the store clerk. Angela held Grace in her arms.

"He licked the blood off the floor?" Cole asked with wide eyes.

"Yeah, the soda jokey back there seemed pretty shook up by it," Dean replied.

"Now, the description he gave… medium build, brown hair… that sound like the Kit you know?" Sam asked.

"Yeah, it does," Cole muttered.

"Great." Angela scoffed.

"This still sound like it ain't our kind of thing?" Dean quirked a brow as Cole's phone rang.

"Hey, Jem." Cole greeted.

 _"Cole, uh, the news said someone was killed at the Gas'n'Sip on Kenton."_ Jemma's voice rang through.

"Yeah, I know. I'm here right now." Cole replied.

 _"You are?"_ she asked. _"W-what are they saying?"_

"Not much. Look, Jem. Um, I really can't talk right now. I'm sorry." Cole apologized.

 _"Wait,"_ she stopped him. _"Do they think that he… that… that Kit… Did this?"_

"I don't know." He lied.

 _"If he did, he isn't in his right mind,"_ Jemma stressed. _"And you know that, Cole. You got to save him."_

"I will." He assured.

 _"I know. And, uh…"_ she trailed off. _"And that's the only thing keeping me sane right now. I was thinking, you know, sometimes, when Kit wanted to be alone, he would head up north to his dad's old cabin. Maybe you could go check it out, and… and… and I'll stay here in case he comes home."_

"Right," Cole replied.

"Hey, Kung-Fu grip, you coming?" Dean called out.

"Hey, Jem, I got to go," Cole said before hanging up.

"So, what next?" Angela asked.

"We hit every cop shop within a 10-mile radius, put the word out, see if we can't track him down," Dean answered.

"And if you find him, what then?" Cole questioned. "Kit needs help. He doesn't need a bullet, and he doesn't need a knife."

"Okay," Sam pursed his lips. "You know what, Cole? We know you want to protect your buddy, but…"

"If he's a monster… we got to put him down." Angela finished.

Cole narrowed his eyes. "That's the way it's gonna have to be, huh?"

"That's the job," Dean replied. "So, you in or out?"

~/~\~

The Impala pulled up and stopped right outside of Jemma's house.

"Thanks for the lift," Cole said.

"It's better this way, alright?" Dean replied. "You keep her calm. We'll keep you posted."

"Yeah," Cole muttered.

"Hey, Cole. He shows up, don't try and be a hero. Call us." Angela stressed.

"You got it." Cole nodded.

Cole waited until the Winchesters drove away, and. Then he got in his truck and left Jemma's. Sam, Dean, and Angela hid in the Impala in the trees and watched Cole's truck drive past. Then they pulled out and followed him.

"And you bought him dinner." Dean chastised Sam.

~/~\~

Cole pulled up to the cabin and went inside, searching for Kit, and the hunters pulled up outside. The brothers quietly gathered their gear before following Cole inside, instructing Angela to stay with Grace in the Impala. Cole pulled out a flashlight and searched around the cabin, following a trail of torn apart rodents.

"Kit?" Cole called out. "Hey, Kit? Are you here? It's Cole. There's some real serious people looking for you, Kit. And they won't just want to talk. It's bad, Kit. And it's either me… or them." He added, noticing Kit sitting in the corner. "Hey, Kit. Hey. Hey, Kit."

"I'm sorry. I can't stop." Kit whispered.

Kit stood up and attacked Cole viciously and a Khan worm dropped out of his mouth.

"Aah!" Cole screamed as the Khan worm entered him.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Dean stormed in.

Kit threw Dean across the room and sprinted out of the cabin.

"Oh, god. Oh, god. Ew. Something went down my… throat." Cole frowned deeply.

"Alright, Cole, just try and stay calm," Sam replied.

"Oh, god." Cole shook his head.

"Cole?" Sam asked as Angela came in, carrying Grace.

"Something moved. It's alive, Sammy." Cole replied, clearly frightened.

"Alright, well, we're gonna get it out of you, okay?" Sam assured.

"How?!" Cole snapped.

"We'll figure it out," Sam replied. "We…"

"Man, that was a dumbass move coming here alone." Angela scoffed. "You know that, right?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," Cole replied sarcastically. "I should have let you just cut my buddy's head off."

"Well, if you did, maybe you wouldn't be chokin' down a damn Khan worm right now." Dean retorted.

"What's a Khan worm?" Cole demanded.

"You think that's what it is?" Sam asked Dean.

"Or some sort of freak cousin," Dean suggested.

"Freak cousin of what?" Cole demanded.

"A couple years back, we worked a case," Angela recalled. "We got stuck in a cannery with this worm. It would get into people's bodies and…"

"It was freaking awful." Dean shuddered.

"Alright, so you've been to this rodeo before. How do we kill it?" Cole asked.

"Worst case… headshot the person it's in. Worm crawls out, we stomp it like a bug." Dean replied.

"Is there a version where you don't cap me?" Cole quirked a brow.

"Yeah, uh, last time electrocution made the worm leave the body," Sam replied.

"Alright, fine." Cole nodded. "You three get to work. I'll go look for Kit."

"Hey, hey, Sammy?" Cole asked.

"Yeah."

"If we can fix me, we can save Kit, right?" Cole asked hopefully.

"That's the idea." Sam nodded before leaving.

"Mm." Cole hummed.

"You know that this is gonna hurt like a son of a bitch?" Dean warned.

"Hell, I have a wife, a kid, and an upside-down mortgage to get back to," Cole replied. "Whatever it takes, Dean-o."

"Okay." Dean pursed his lips.

"Mm. So, last time you saw this thing, it turned people into killers, too?" Cole asked.

"Yeah," Angela replied as she set Grace down on the couch. "Except that one did a mind-control number on us." She added as she helped Dean put jumper cables on a car battery.

"Damn." Cole breathed out. "Day in, day out, you guys saving people from things they just can't wrap their minds around… Hell, and nobody even knows it. Hell, at least I get a medal for my efforts. But you… I tried to kill your ass."

"Yeah, well, good times," Angela muttered sarcastically.

"I almost took you off the map. Who would be saving me now?" Cole asked.

"Yeah, well, let's not get too sentimental about it," Angela replied.

"Alright, let's fire this puppy up." Dean sighed.

"Well, you say that like it's just another Tuesday." Cole chuckled.

"Oh, buddy, it's only Monday." Dean snapped the jumper cables together.

Cole put the spoon in his mouth, leaned back in the ragged recliner, and nodded his head at Dean and Angela. Dean handed Angela the cables and she pressed the clamps onto Cole's forearms. Dean went and picked up Grace, trying to get her to sleep.

"Anything?" Cole asked.

"Last time, it came out of our ears," Angela replied.

"And…?"

"I'm not seeing anything yet," Angela muttered.

"Do it again," Cole commanded.

Angela continued shocking Cole and shook her head. "Alright, that sucker should have crawled out by now."

"Again," Cole replied.

"She keeps going, this is gonna kill you," Dean warned.

"Again!" Cole snapped.

Angela looked away while she electrocuted Cole. His eyes rolled back and his jaw slackened on the spoon. Angela noticed and immediately stopped.

Angela started checking for a pulse then slapped his chest. "Cole. Hey, hey. Cole! Come on. Come on. Cole! Hey."

"Hey! Hey!" Cole's eyes flashed open. "Okay! Hey. Alright. Again."

"No," Angela replied firmly. "No, we're done playing 'Operation.' I zap you again, you're toast. Just take a knee."

~/~\~

Sam's phone rang as he drove. "Angie. How did it go?"

 _"Worm was a no-show."_ Angela's voice rang through.

"That doesn't make any sense." Sam frowned. "Last time…"

 _"Well, this isn't last time,"_ Angela replied. _"I mean, maybe this is a whole new species, you know? All I know is that sparky struck out."_

"Well, there's got to be something." Sam sighed heavily. "I mean, everything has a weakness, right?"

 _"Well, what about you? Any luck?"_ Angela asked.

"I'm on my way to Kit's. Thought I'd check there first." Sam explained.

 _"Alright. I love you, Sammy."_ Angela replied.

"Love you, too, Angie."

~/~\~

"You okay?" Dean asked Cole.

"So, this is what in over your head looks like." Cole mused.

"Just got to keep your head in the game," Dean muttered. "Okay, so what do we know about this thing?"

"Uh, sucker dries you out. I'm thirsty already, man." Cole replied.

"It likes water." Angela reminded. "Then when that's not enough…"

"Blood." Cole finished. "I don't know. Maybe lack of fluids makes the thing hostile."

"So, it's like a parasite," Dean replied. "It wrings you dry, and then it moves on."

"So, if I dry myself out, the son of a bitch wouldn't like that very much, now, would he?" Cole asked.

"No, he'd want the hell out," Angela muttered. "You'd be a hostile environment… well, more than you already are."

"Well, to be fair, you really haven't seen my chiller side," Cole replied.

"What do you think about rapid dehydration?" Dean asked.

"Big fan," Cole replied. "Just make sure you squash that sucker when it goes AWOL."

"Sounds like a plan." Dean nodded.

"Alright," Angela muttered. "Nothing like a sweat lodge in the woods, huh?"


	30. The Things They Carried Part 2

Sam smashed the flower vase over Kit's head as the Khan worm started inching out of his mouth toward Jemma. Kit fell to the ground unconscious, and Sam looked at Jemma in concern.

"Are you okay?"

~/~\~

Angela stood next to Dean, who still held Grace, and had her phone on speaker.

 _"You're in a… Sweat lodge?"_ Sam's voice rang through.

"Well, you're the one who said everything has got a weakness," Dean replied. "So, we figured take a schvitz, kill a freak. Call that a good day."

 _"Yeah, if it works."_ Sam retorted.

"Babe, do you have a better idea?" Angela questioned.

 _"Yeah, I do, actually,"_ Sam replied. _"We know how to end this."_

"Yeah, plan 'B' for 'bullet.'" Angela scoffed. "But we're not quite there yet, so just hold tight."

 _"Alright."_ Sam conceded.

"How's the wife?" Dean asked.

 _"She's barely holding on,"_ Sam answered. _"How's Cole?"_

"He's going strong," Dean replied.

 _"Good. Look, guys, Kit is gonna come to."_ Sam sighed heavily. _"And when I got here, it was bad."_

"We're on the clock. We get it." Angela replied.

_"Yeah."_

Angela hung up and turned to look at Cole. "Just keep sweating, Cole. You're doing great."

Dean opened a water bottle and took a swig. Cole eyed the water with open hunger.

"Sorry." Dean shrugged.

~/~\~

Sam and Jemma sat on the couch while Kit was tied up in the kitchen.

"I don't understand." She shook her head.

"On Kit's last mission, on his deployment with Rick, there was an incident, and something got inside Kit," Sam explained. "I mean, h-have you seen anything?"

"I mean, y… I saw something, okay? But it… it was…" she stammered.

"It was a monster," Sam replied. "It was a real-life, actual, honest-to-god monster. And your husband… it changed him."

Jemma's brows furrowed. "What? Who are you?"

~/~\~

"My dad…" Cole trailed off. "He got something inside him, too, right? You think this is what he felt like when he turned?"

"Maybe." Angela nodded. "I mean, he was human before he was… a monster."

"I get it… Why you did it, Angela." Cole whispered. "My dad wasn't my dad anymore. If I go down that same road… I want you to do that to me, too."

"That road?" Angela frowned. "That means giving up. If you think that's where you're headed, then you've got it ass-backward. You're gonna fight harder than you ever have. You understand?"

Cole watched Dean drink some water, and something in his expression changed. He stood up and walked over to a nearby chair. "Dean-o. Will you do me the honor of tying me to this chair?"

Dean glanced at his water and handed Grace to Angela. "Yeah."

Dean set his water bottle down on the table and grabbed some rope. As Dean started tying Cole to the chair, Cole punched him and lunged for the water.

"Aah!" Dean yelled in pain.

Dean slapped the water out of Cole's hand and held him down at gunpoint.

"Come on," Cole taunted. "We both know you're not gonna do it."

"You are gonna sweat this one through," Dean replied firmly.

"I can't, Dean!" Cole snapped.

"Yes, you can," Dean assured. "Listen to me. Yes, you can. Think about your family, hmm? Your wife, your kid. You hear me?"

"I appreciate the talk, coach. But honestly, all I can think about is slicing your wrist and drinking you like a fountain. Then doin' the same to Angie. Guess that makes me a monster, don't it?"

~/~\~

"So, you're a hunter," Jemma noted.

"Right." Sam nodded.

"And… I'm sorry. This is gonna take me a minute. It's, uh…" she trailed off.

"It's crazy, right?" Sam chuckled. "It sounds crazy? I know. But it's the truth."

"I don't care if he's what you say he is, okay? He's my husband." Jemma replied.

"Jemma, he tried to kill you." Sam reminded. "Was that your husband when you looked into his eyes? Was that the Kit you know? Look… Dean and Angie are working on it. They'll figure it out, okay? Let me check in with them."

"Alright." She murmured. "Sam. Sam." She looked into the kitchen to see that Kit was gone. "Sam!"

Sam put his finger to his mouth to tell Jemma to keep quiet as he stalked into the kitchen. He also told Jemma to wait where she was. Kit snuck up behind her, she screamed, and Sam jumped on Kit.

~/~\~

Angela paced the floor as she held the phone to her ear. "Come on, Sammy! Pick up!"

Cole was coughing by the fire. He leaped on Dean and pinned Dean to the table. Dean had his gun out and trained on Cole's head.

"Don't make me pull this trigger," Dean warned.

"I already did." Cole threw his head back and the Khan worm moved up his throat under his skin.

"Holy…" Dean threw Cole off of him as he threw up the Khan Worm.

Angela stomped on the Khan worm with her boot and looked at Dean and Cole. "You guys okay?"

"Yeah." Cole breathed. "Oh, thank God. Thank God."

Angela pulled out her phone and called Sam again.

 _"Hey."_ His voice rang through.

"Sammy, we did it," Angela replied. "Cole's all right. Get Kit over here as soon as you can."

 _"It's too late,"_ Sam replied sadly.

~/~\~

Sam, Cole, Dean, and Angela were packing the cars to leave. Sam held Grace in his arms.

"Hey, Cole," Sam started. "Listen, uh, I, uh… For whatever it's worth… I really wish it hadn't ended this way."

"Yeah," Cole nodded. "Me, too, Sammy boy."

"I mean, Kit… he was gonna kill her and…" Sam trailed off.

"I know. Jemma told me everything." Cole replied. "Soldier goes crazy, attacks his wife. She had to kill him. Or at least that's the story that she's got to tell. I guess I've seen it all now."

"Some. Not all." Angela cut in.

"I just want to go home, see my family." Cole murmured. "I want to thank you. For keeping me standing."

"Well, all it took was a little blood, sweat, and, uh, more sweat." Dean shrugged.

"You take care of yourself, you hear?" Angela added.

"Alright, I will." Cole nodded. "But I still hope I don't see the three of you anymore. No offense."

"None taken." Sam chuckled as Cole got in his Jeep.

"Don't blame yourself for Kit, the baby," Angela told Sam as Cole drove away.

"I can't help it, Angie. It feels crappy." Sam replied.

"I know it does." She nodded.

"I tried." He stressed. "I did. I tried. I just… I couldn't save this one."

"You know, you can do everything right. And even still, sometimes… The person still dies." Angela replied sadly.

Sam, Dean, and Angela shared a look, then Angela got in the car.


	31. Paint it Black Part 1

"Alright, so, I'm thinking, uh, curse, maybe," Angela noted as Dean drove. "Sam," she attempted to get his attention. "A little help here, okay? I'm trying to stay busy here. You know, eye on the ball, not on the mark. And this is a case until we know it's not."

"Sure." Sam nodded. "No, yeah, you're right. Three suicides, two weeks."

"They're not just suicides," Angela stressed. "They gutted themselves. And they took their sweet time doing it. I mean, that had to be incredibly painful. I can't seem to find any link between the vics, either."

"Yeah, probably a curse, I bet." Dean agreed.

~/~\~

_Worcester, Massachusetts_

Sam, Dean, and Angela were walking out of the police station, dressed in their FBI apparel. Grace was in Sioux Falls with Jody.

"Alright, so what do we got?" Sam asked. "Terry Sloan, ordinary guy, not a lot of friends but no known enemies, no relation to the other vics."

"Well, not necessarily," Angela replied. "He's Catholic, and so are the other two."

"Angie, this is Massachusetts." Sam scoffed lightly. "There are a lot of Catholics in Massachusetts. You think this is a case?"

"Who kills himself with a candlestick, alright? There's about a billion better ways." Angela argued.

"Yeah, but he _did_ kill himself." Dean shrugged.

"Alright, so, it was not a witch. There was nothing hexy found on him." Angela muttered. "Uh, possession? Could have been a demon?"

"Yeah, but the point of a demon possessing a living thing is to, you know, possess a living thing," Sam replied as they arrived at the Impala.

"Okay, agents, why don't you get that cell phone back to the bureau's crime lab, get it hacked like you told those guys, and, uh, we'll figure out what's going on with Terry Sloan," Angela replied.

"Probably nude selfies," Dean muttered.

"I'm feeling good about this," Angela stressed.

~/~\~

Father Delaney led the three hunters into the church.

"I just can't believe Lisa McCarthy would murder her husband." He shook his head.

"Right, well, his blood was all over her body," Sam replied. "And her prints were all over the pair of scissors that butchered him."

"That's terrible." Father Delaney frowned.

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"Now, we also have some questions," Dean started. "Um, for starters, she has no memory of it. The last thing she remembers is being here. Frank had gone to confession."

"So, if he happened to say anything in the confession about, you know, maybe problems with the wife…" Angela trailed off.

"I'm sorry." Father Delaney apologized. "The nature of confession is confidential."

"Ah." Angela sighed.

"Father, all of the victims attended your church. Um, could you at least tell us if they had recently been to confession?"

"Yes." Father Delaney confirmed. "These men were fairly regular, but then, so are the majority of the folks here."

"Father?" Sister Mathias walked up.

"Agents," Father Delaney started as Dean checked out Sister Mathias. "Sister Mathias is our Director of Social Services. I've asked her to show you around and answer any questions."

"Sure." Sam nodded before Father Delaney left.

"Agent…?" Sister Mathias raised her brows.

"Allman." Dean introduced. "And these are Agents Betts and Gregg."

"Sister, you're aware of the recent string of deaths, right?" Angela asked gently.

"Yes, a terrible tragedy." She replied. "But I'm confused as to why you're here. These were all suicides, weren't they?"

"Well, possibly not," Sam replied.

"Murders?" Sister Mathias's eyes widened.

"Well, the actual method of killing was all identical," Dean explained.

"Ah, the M.O." Sister Mathias nodded.

"Yes, indeed, the M.O." Dean chuckled.

"Agent," Angela looked up at Sam. "Let's go have a look around."

"Yeah," Sam cleared his throat. "Uh, excuse us, sister. Agent Betts, uh, Allman."

"Okay," Dean smirked.

Sam took Angela's hand in his and walked away, leaving Dean with Sister Mathias.

"Uh, Sister, d-did you notice, um, any change in the—in the McCarthy's lives?" Dean questioned. "You know, fighting, drinking, cheating? You know, the usual."

"The usual." She repeated. "A bit cynical, Agent?"

"Well, you know, scissors to the gut really, uh, bring out the Grinch in me." Dean chuckled. "So…"

Dean and Sister Mathias approached the head of the church where Sister Mathias stopped and crossed her body in the proper Catholic fashion.

"Oh… Now Lisa McCarthy said that they were very devoted to each other. Was that true?" Dean asked.

"That always appeared to be the case." Sister Mathias nodded.

"But…?" Dean quirked a brow.

"We're looking for a motive, aren't we?" Sister Mathias asked.

"We are," Dean confirmed. "An earlier victim's cell phone showed some angry texts between him and his girlfriend 'cause he had been fooling around."

"There were rumors." Sister Mathias replied.

"So, Frank cheated on Lisa. So, she lied to me." Dean muttered. "Oh, she didn't know."

"My sources are excellent. And you didn't hear it from me." Sister Mathias whispered, earning a chuckle from Dean.

Sam took the EMF meter and waved it over the prayer candles, causing the meter to warble.

"I got a question. How does someone, uh, like you end up, you know…?" Dean trailed off.

"Cloistered away from the world?" Sister Mathias chuckled. "Are you making fun of me, Agent Allman?"

"No." Dean shook his head. "No, no. I, uh… I guess I'm just wondering how somebody quits one life for something completely different and—and then believe in it so much."

"Well," Sister Mathias sighed. "In my case, I felt I had no choice. My life had become painful. There was hopelessness. I felt I had to find something larger than myself to focus on. A kind of mission, I guess. You have no idea what I'm talking about, I'm sure."

"Mm, don't be," Dean muttered.

"Sister," Sam said as he and Angela walked up. "I got a question."

"I'm sure it's a different question," Dean replied.

"Is there a cemetery nearby?" Sam asked curiously.

"You could say that. The entire church is built over burial crypts." Sister Mathias explained.

"Oh." Angela pursed her lips. "Have you ever, uh, heard or—felt anything strange or unusual?"

"Unusual how?" Sister Mathias tilted her head.

"Like, uh, spots in the building that suddenly get colder or, uh—or maybe you feel like you're not—not quite alone?" Dean asked.

"Rattling chains and teacups that fly across the room?" Sister Mathias smirked lightly.

Dean raised his brows. "Sister, are you making fun of me?"

"Really? The FBI believes in ghosts?" Sister Mathias asked skeptically. "I'm afraid I don't. If you'll excuse me, Agents, I have to get back to work."

"Mm." Dean hummed.

~/~\~

Dean, Sam, and Angela were walking down the church stairs. Sam held Angela's hand as they walked.

"Tell me you didn't think that nun was hot," Dean commented. "I think she had a little thing for me, too."

"Dean, she was married to Jesus." Sam laughed.

"Alright, so, Frank cheated on his wife, Lisa, alright?" Dean recalled. "You know, the whole theme of this case seems to be about people doing their significant others wrong. Notice that?"

"Yeah, but Lisa McCarthy was pretty convinced that she had no idea whatsoever she had killed her husband," Angela replied.

"Oh, hot nun said that Lisa had no idea he was cheating on her," Dean replied. "So, maybe she was controlled by someone who did."

"Again, nothing witchy," Sam replied.

"Ghost?" Angela suggested.

"Hard to say." Sam pursed his lips. "I mean, there's EMF in the church, but it's built on a burial ground."

"You know that all the victims recently went to confession?" Dean noted.

"So, you think Father Delaney's involved?" Sam raised a brow.

"Or maybe something surrounded the confession," Angela muttered. "Sammy, how long has it been since my last confession?"

Sam's brows furrowed. "Baby, you've never been to confession."

"Well, that's just far too long, baby." Angela tisked.


	32. Paint it Black Part 2

Father Delaney sat in the confessional when he heard a knock on the window.

"Yes?" he opened the window to see Angela sitting on the other side.

"Hiya, Father." She greeted.

Father Delaney's brows furrowed. "Pardon me?"

"Pardon you? I thought it was the other way around." Angela chuckled. "Just… it's…" she cleared her throat. "So, uh, I'm here to—here to clean house. I need to get some things off my chest."

"Oh. Alright. Continue." Father Delaney replied.

"Um… it's the men, Father. Where do I begin?" she let out another chuckle.

"'Bless me, Father, for I have sinned,' is usual." Father Delaney answered.

"Right. Good. Yeah." Angela nodded. "So, that, and, um… so, the men. Uh, and this is not something that I'm proud of, but I let them think that we have more of a future than we do, you know? Ah, Sam."

"Sam?" Father Delaney inquired.

"My husband," Angela replied. "I have been… _unfaithful,_ Father. It makes me sick, truthfully."

"And you wish to be forgiven, my dear?" Father Delaney asked.

"I do," Angela stressed. "I need to clean up my act."

"As penance, you shall say five 'Hail Mary's,' two 'Our Father's,' and reflect on your transgression." Father Delaney instructed.

Angela raised her brows. "And then, that's it? Then I'm good to go?"

"One would hope some… inner exploration might occur." Father Delaney replied. "The prayers are just the beginning to some serious soul-searching."

"Hmm." Angela hummed, pausing to think for a moment.

"Is there anything else on your mind, Agent Gregg?" Father Delaney asked curiously.

Angela chuckled lightly. "What if I said… I didn't want to die… yet, you know, that I wasn't ready?"

"Are you expecting to?" Father Delaney asked.

"Always." Angela murmured. "You know, the life I live, the work I do… I pretty much figured that that was all there was to me, you know?"

"But now?" Father Delaney pressed.

"Now, um… recent events, uh… make me think I might be closer to the end than I really thought. And… I don't know. There are things, feelings I want to experience for the first time."

"Go a little deeper, perhaps, than with Sam." Father Delaney replied.

"Yeah." Angela murmured. "Yeah, I'm just starting to think that… maybe there's more to it all than I thought."

"Learning that there's more to the universe than your tiny world can be a frightening discovery." Father Delaney explained. "Do you truly believe in God, Agent? Because that can be a comfort."

"I believe there is a God." Angela nodded. "But I'm not sure he still believes in us."

~/~\~

Angela exited the confessional and behind her, Isabella's ghost appeared. Angela walked over to Sam and Dean, who were sitting in one of the pews. The brothers got up when they noticed Angela.

"So, you think you had an eavesdropper in there?" Dean asked.

"Hope so." Angela nodded.

"You better watch you back," Sam warned. "If you were right, that ghost is looking for you."

Dean, Sam, and Angela walked out of the church and Sister Mathias stood in the corner, watching them.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela followed Sister Mathias in the church basement.

"I never mentioned her to you because it didn't occur to me she was connected with the murders." Sister Mathias explained. "Ever since I've been here I've come across restless spirits of all sorts. They're all kind of… sad, harmless. And eventually, the poor things go to their final rest."

"Wait a second," Sam frowned. "S-so, you're just comfortable around ghosts?"

"As a spiritual person, I've accepted _many_ planes of existence." Sister Mathias replied. "And as I said, they've all been harmless. Isabella was my friend. We had a lot in common, including… painful love lives. I wanted to protect her."

"You said she showed up about three weeks ago when the stuff from her home arrived?" Dean asked.

"Yes," Sister Mathias nodded. "Part of a shipment from a monastery in Tivoli. Her family's treasures found their way to the church, as with many of the great houses of Europe."

"You get that she got here just before the murders started happening?" Angela pointed out.

"I finally realized that." Sister Mathias replied. "And then I heard the three of you, and it made me wonder. That's when I read her journal. It was given to her father right after her death."

"Vengeful spirit, just like we thought," Dean muttered.

"Yeah, but 16th-century Florence. She's probably buried in Florence." Angela replied.

"I assume. The—journal ended right after her trial." Sister Mathias handed the journal to Sam. "Piero's death was so horrific, she was convicted of witchcraft. They sentenced her to burn at the stake."

"Okay, well, if she was burned, then so would her bones." Dean frowned.

"Yeah, but, Dean, something here is the tether that ties her to this place," Sam replied.

"It's probably the journal, where she wrote about her life," Angela noted before turning to Sister Mathias. "Why don't we see if we can't find Isabella, try to slow her down. Sam, burn all this stuff."

"Her… journal? Is that necessary?" Sister Mathias frowned.

"Believe me, it's necessary," Angela confirmed.

"Well, I don't know, Angie. I mean, there might be more in here." Sam commented.

"Sam, burn it. Let's go." Angela stressed before exiting with Sister Mathias.

~/~\~

Sister Mathias, Dean, and Angela were walking around the church. Dean held out his EMF meter.

"I don't see how she could murder these people," Sister Mathias commented. "If she was tethered to the church."

"She could possess a person inside the church, ride out, and get yanked back after the kill, so…" Dean explained.

"And ghosts can be shot?" Sister Mathias asked, brows furrowed.

"With rock salt. If we spot her, it'll slow her down." Angela replied.

~/~\~

Sam was reading Isabella's journal, brows furrowed.

~/~\~

_"And as the days passed, my love for Piero deepened, as did his belief in my powers as his muse," Isabella said as she wrote. "He said he wanted something from me, something he could barely give voice to. He thought the effect I had on his work was profound. He had never painted so well before. He asked if he might have a bit of my blood to mix to the pigment. Piero was so afraid he would hurt me. I told him, on the contrary, it was my great joy to do this."_

~/~\~

Dean, Angela, and Sister Mathias entered a hallway and the EMF meter began to warble. The sound got stronger and Dean gestured for Sister Mathias to stay put while he and Angela continued on.

~/~\~

_"But it wasn't enough," Isabella murmured. "I told Piero to grind the flesh, blood, and bone into the pigment. I had become one with the painting and with Piero."_

~/~\~

"And with Piero," Sam mumbled, brows knitted together in thought.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela walked further into a room and then saw Father Delaney lying on top of a table, completely gutted.

~/~\~

Sam pulled painting after painting aside, trying to find the proper one. He finally found one that read 'TIVOLI' on the stamp.

~/~\~

Dean and Angela walked over to Sister Mathias.

"She got to Father Delaney," Angela said. "She's around here somewhere. We got to get you out of here. Come on!"

Angela grabbed her hand to lead her out of the church, but Sister Mathias resister then slapped Angela, sending her flying down the hallway.

"Angie!" Dean yelled.

Sister Mathias grabbed Dean and threw him against the wall on the opposite side of the room.

~/~\~

Sam used a crowbar to open the crate that contained Isabella's painting.

~/~\~

Sister Mathias flickered toward Angela, who was struggling to get up. She grabbed Angela and threw her up against the wall, but, had a strong grip around her neck. Sister Mathias pulled a knife from her sleeve. Angela used her free hand to grab the knife-holding-hand.

"The priest had to die." Sister Mathias whispered. "He made it his business to forgive you pigs—forgive you, when what you did is unforgivable."

"Sam, burn the journal!" Angela yelled, her voice strained.

~/~\~

Sam picked up the painting and put it in the fireplace before dousing it in lighter fluid. Sam lit a pack of matches and threw them into the fire pit, burning the painting completely.

~/~\~

Sister Mathias let go of Angela and her body began to convulse. Isabella's spirit burst out of Sister Mathias, who fell to the ground. Dean ran over from the other side of the room.

"Kid, you good?" he asked worriedly.

"Yeah." She nodded.

Sister Mathias grabbed hold of Dean, and he protected her and Angela as Isabella went up in flames.

"Sister!" Isabella cried. "Don't let them! You're my friend!"

~/~\~

"Who mixes their blood and bones into paint?" Angela questioned as Sam drove.

"No woman's ever done that for me." Dean chuckled.

"Is this you guys thanking me for not doing what Angie told me to do?" Sam smirked.

"You know, if you would have burned the journal, then we wouldn't know how to kill it, would we?" Angela smiled softly.

Sam chuckled and wrapped one arm around Angela's shoulder. "Yeah, you're welcome. You know…" he trailed off. "Baby, you were in that confessional a long time. Look, I'm just saying, I'm your husband, Angie. If you ever need to talk about anything with anybody, you got somebody right here next to you."

"Two people." Dean corrected. "You're my little sister, kiddo. I gotta look out for you, right?"

"Okay." Angela nodded.

"I heard what Sister Mathias was saying about, you know, hiding pain by taking on a mission," Sam continued. "And I-I know that's what you're doing a little bit. And it's okay. I mean, it's fine. I get it. Dean and I both do. But… I don't buy for one second that the mark is a terminal diagnosis, so don't go making peace with that idea. There has to be a way. There will be a way, and we will find it, baby. That's what we do. So, believe that."

"Okay, Sammy." Angela murmured.

"You want to… Uh, try that again, like you mean it?" Dean quirked a brow.

"Okay," Angela replied, more determined.


	33. Inside Man Part 1

Sam was abruptly awakened by Angela screaming his name next to him.

"Sam!" Angela screamed, thrashing around in the bed. "No. No! No! No. No!"

Sam sat up immediately and noticed that Angela was clenching her right fist, which bore the Mark of Cain.

"Baby," Sam shook her. "Baby, you gotta wake up. Come on."

Angela's eyes flashed open and she looked up to see Sam looking down at her, a worried expression on his face.

~/~\~

Sam and Dean sat at the library table, Sam was on his phone while Dean was using the laptop. Angela entered the library, drinking some coffee.

"Yeah. Yeah, okay, just, um… just be there. Yeah. Gotta go." Sam hung up before looking up at Angela. "Hey, baby. How did you sleep?"

"Like a drunk baby." She muttered sarcastically. "What do we got?"

"Uh, nothing." Dean sighed heavily.

"Really?" Angela quirked a brow.

"Yeah, I mean, uh, no weird deaths, no demon signs." Dean shrugged. "There's a Kitsune working some truck stops outside of Boise, but Rudy's on it, so…"

"Alright." Angela nodded. "So, uh, snow day."

"Yeah." Sam agreed. "Dean and I were thinking about going out, seeing a movie."

"Yeah, that could be cool." Angela shrugged.

"Well, Gracie is still with Jody, so Sam and I were thinking… guys day," Dean replied.

"Oh. Okay." Angela nodded.

"Alright, well… it's playing in Wichita, so we might not be back till morning." Sam leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"Okay. Make good choices, don't drink too much." Angela smiled softly.

"Love you." Sam pecked her lips.

"Love you, too," Angela replied.

Dean ruffled Angela's hair, much to her dismay. "See ya, kiddo."

~/~\~

Sam and Dean pulled up in the Impala by the side of the road, behind Castiel and his car.

"Thanks for coming, Cas," Sam said as he and Dean got out of the car.

Castiel's brows furrowed in confusion. "Of course. Where's Angela?"

"This is about Angie," Dean replied.

"Is she…?" Castiel trailed off.

"She's getting worse, Cas," Sam replied sadly. "We've gone through every other option possible. We got to talk about—

"Don't say it." Castiel interrupted firmly.

"Do you think I want this? She's my wife, the mother of my child." Sam retorted. "I'm not a fan of it, either. But if we want to get rid of the mark… I'm just saying, Charlie's gone radio silent; everything else we've tried has been a dead end. So…"

"So, I'll drive," Castiel replied.

~/~\~

"Rudy," Angela said into the phone as she lied on her bed. "Rudy! Hey, look. I know you can handle it, okay? I'm just saying that, you know, if you needed a little assist, I could… alright. Alright, alright, alright." She muttered. "Chill out. Sorry, I asked. Alright. You know me. I'm always good."

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Castiel approached the playground where the door to Heaven was located.

"That's far enough, Castiel." The guard stopped them.

"Excuse me?" Castiel frowned.

"I have orders. You aren't allowed upstairs."

"Says who?" Dean demanded.

"Hold, please." The angel currently in the vessel left, while the door opened a crack and another angel came out and entered the vessel.

"Hello, Castiel." Hannah greeted.

"Hannah." Castiel breathed out.

"I swore I'd never occupy another vessel, but… we need to have this conversation face-to-face," Hannah explained.

"What conversation?" Castiel narrowed his eyes.

"What do you want in Heaven?" Hannah interrogated.

"Metatron," Castiel answered simply.

"Why? Is this about your grace? Are you fading?" Hannah asked worriedly.

"I'm fine for now," Castiel assured.

"This is about my wife," Sam interjected.

"Because you think Metatron might have information about the Mark of Cain?" Hannah quirked a brow.

"No." Castiel shook his head. "We know he does."

"So he says. Metatron lies." Hannah reminded.

"Hannah, we just want to talk with him." Sam pleaded desperately.

"No, you want his help." Hannah retorted. "But we both know the only way Metatron helps you is if he's free. And I can't let the scribe out of his cell. Not again. He's too dangerous."

"We won't…"

"Yes, you will," Hannah told Castiel. "Because you're desperate."

"After all I've done for Heaven… after all I've done for you." Castiel shook his head.

"I'm sorry." Hannah apologized.

"You should be!" Castiel snapped angrily.

"Cas, let's go." Dean urged.

"What?" he frowned. "We're leaving?"

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "We can't fight off four angels."

"So… so, what?" Castiel questioned. "You just want to give up on Metatron?"

"No, we need him," Dean replied. "Time for plan 'B.' We break him out."

~/~\~

Angela sauntered into the bar and sat down, greeting the bartender.

"Hey, Donnie." She smiled softly.

"Hey, sweetheart," Donnie replied.

"I'll just have a, uh, whiskey. Neat." Angela ordered.

"You bet." Donnie nodded.

"Thanks," Angela replied.

Donnie handed Angela her drink.

"Gracias," Angela muttered, glancing back at the boys playing pool. "What's up with the Abercrombie rejects?"

"College kids, 'slumming it.'" Donnie shrugged.

"Slumming?" Angela scoffed lightly. "What are you talking about? This is a nice joint, huh?"

"Come on, bitches." Ty, one of the college boys laughed. "Who's next? 20 bucks a game. 20 bucks."

Angela pursed her lips and messed up her hair slightly before drunkenly walking over to the pool table, her hips swaying. "Hi. Yeah, I'll, uh… I'll play."

Ty looked her over and smirked. "What, seriously?"

"Dude, she's blitzed." One of Ty's friends laughed.

"No." Angela shook her head. "No, no, no, no. I'm… I'm… I'm fine. I'm good to go. Hmm? Good to go."

"She's fine," Ty smirked, checking her out. "Grab a stick, sweetheart."

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Castiel walked down a dark street toward an old-looking house.

"So, back in the '50s, Oliver Pryce was a kid psychic." Sam started. "He performed everywhere… carnivals, Atlantic City… you name it. He was the real deal. Now, the Men of Letters were teaching him how to control his powers when they got… you know."

"Brutally slaughtered?" Castiel offered.

"The point is, he's one of the good guys." Sam summarized. "He might be happy to see us."

"Or not." Dean nodded to all of the 'no trespassing' signs.

"Mr. Pryce?" Sam pounded on the door. "Oliver Pryce!"

"I'll break it down," Castiel suggested.

"Dude, dude, dude." Dean stopped him. "Chill."

"What? I'm helping." Castiel defended.

"Just follow my lead," Sam muttered. "Mr. Pryce? This is Sam—

"Winchester." Pryce opened the door. "You're Sam and Dean Winchester, Men of Letters."

"Yeah. H-how did you, uh…" Sam stammered.

"Mind reader, remember?" Pryce replied before turning his attention to Castiel. "And you're… What are you?"

"I'm an angel," Castiel answered.

"That… No, you can't be." Pryce denied.

"Why not?" Castiel tilted his head.

"Because I'm an atheist!" Pryce exclaimed.

"Not anymore," Dean smirked.

Sam, Dean, and Castiel entered the house, and the party retreated to Pryce's living room.

"That's you?" Castiel nodded to a picture.

"Was me." Pryce corrected. "I don't do the psychic stuff no more. Being around people, it's kind of… Hell. All those brains yapping all the time drives a guy bananas."

"Because you can hear everyone's thoughts," Castiel replied.

"Well, not yours. All I'm getting from you is… colors." Pryce muttered. "But the hippie over here? I'm seeing some creep-ass hobbit-lookin' fella, a prison cell?"

"That's Heaven's jail," Castiel replied.

Pryce's eyes widened a bit. "Heaven's got a freakin' jail?"

"Yeah. Yeah, it does." Sam replied. "And we're looking to break someone out of it."

"Okay." Pryce pursed his lips.

"We have an inside man, but we need your help to talk to him," Dean replied.

"And if I say no?" Pryce asked.

"You're a mind reader." Sam shrugged.

"I'll get my crap." Pryce nodded.

~/~\~

"Oops." Angela giggled as she fumbled her shot. "I'll get it. I'll get it."

"There it is," Ty smirked. "Corner pocket. The king is here."

"Okay, alright. Again?" Angela suggested.

"Sure." Ty nodded. "Say $100 this time."

"Yeah. Make it $300." Angela replied. "What do you say?"

"Uh…" Ty turned to his friends. "Give me your cash."

"I think you're a little short there." Angela eyed the money on the table. "Why don't you toss in the watch? Good to go."

"My dad gave me this watch." Ty frowned deeply.

"I'm sure it's a very touching story. Got a little tear in my eye. Come on. We gonna play or not?" Angela raised her brows.

Ty grumbled and took off his watch, adding it to the pile of cash.

"Rack 'em," Angela said, sobering up near instantly.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, Castiel, and Pryce sat around a table with candles on it.

"You got anything that belonged to the deceased?" Pryce asked.

"Yes. Right here." Sam pulled Bobby's hat out of his bag.

"Good." Pryce nodded. "Now, shut up and hold hands. Amate spiritus obscure, te quaerimus. Te oramus, nobiscum colloquere, apud nos circita."

~/~\~

 _"Bobby?"_ Sam and Dean's voices rang through in his heaven.

 _"Bobby, can you hear us?"_ Sam asked.

 _"Bobby, we need your help,"_ Dean added.

"Sam? Dean?" Bobby's brows furrowed in confusion.

~/~\~

"That one," Angela nodded to which pocket the 8-ball was to go in.

Angela smirked as she easily made the winning shot. Ty clenched his jaw in anger.

"You hustled me." He glared.

"Well, you're pretty quick for a guy who's all hair gel and body spray." Angela sassed as she picked up her winnings. "Thanks, boys."

~/~\~

"And, uh, that's what's been happening… the short version of it, anyway." Sam cleared his throat. "You still there, Bobby?"

 _"Yeah, Sam."_ Bobby's voice rang through. _"It's just… Real good to hear from you boys."_

"Yeah, you too," Dean replied.

 _"Okay,"_ Bobby sighed. _"If, uh, I'm understanding right, you got to figure out a way to get the Mark of Cain off Angie before it turns her back into a demon?"_

"Pretty much, yeah," Sam confirmed.

 _"So, just another day at the office for you boys, huh?"_ Bobby chuckled. _"Put Angie on the line."_

"Angie's not here," Dean admitted.

 _"Why not?"_ Bobby demanded.

"We… Angie's, um… She's not in a good place right now, Bobby." Sam stammered.

 _"So, what's the play?"_ Bobby questioned.

"Each soul in Heaven is locked in its own paradise," Castiel explained. "That's where you are now. You need to escape. You need to find the gate of Earth and open it. Then you and I will find Metatron, the Scribe of God."

 _"You boys remember when this job was just chopping up some fang and tossing back a cold one?"_ Bobby mused.

"I miss that." Sam chuckled.

 _"Ditto."_ Bobby agreed. _"So, while I'm playing Steve McQueen, anyone gonna be looking for me?"_

"Everyone," Castiel replied grimly. "The angels will not like a soul wandering free."

 _"We got a way to slow them down?"_ Bobby asked.

"Not exactly," Sam admitted. "But, um, you'll… you'll figure something out, Bobby. You always do."

 _"Listen, I appreciate the warm and fuzzy, but I ain't exactly playing on the big leagues these days,"_ Bobby replied. _"I'm mostly drinking and reading the classics. Truth is, I'm rusty. And maybe there's somebody better out there."_

"There isn't, Bobby," Dean replied. "And w-with Angie the way she is… This is all we got."

 _"Hell, I'm already dead,"_ Bobby said after a short pause. _"What's the worst that could happen?"_


	34. Inside Man Part 2

Angela walked out of the bathroom to find the bar completely deserted and Rowena drinking a glass of wine.

"Angela." Rowena greeted with a smirk.

"Rowena?" Angela quirked a brow. "What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this? I'm sorry," she chuckled. "Did I say, 'nice girl?' I meant evil skank."

"You say that like it's an insult. But nice girls, they're pathetic. Here's to the evil skanks." Rowena raised her glass with a sneer on her face.

Suddenly, Angela was attacked by Ty and his hang, whom Rowena had turned into animal-like creatures with a spell.

"Whoa, fellas," Angela looked between them. "What did she do to you?"

Angela attacked them and almost stabbed Ty with a pool cue before dropping it. She attacked them again and beat them until they were unconscious. Rowena rolled up her sleeves, exposing the symbols she painted on her arms.

"Someone's tougher than she looks," Rowena commented.

"You have no idea." Angela glared.

"A spioradl an tsaoil," Rowena chanted. "Eistigl liom! DUighigl an fear seo! DUighigl go luaithreach E!"

Rowena's spell shot a beam of light on Angela, but it just brushed past her and didn't do anything.

Rowena frowned in confusion. "Not possible…"

Angela grabbed Rowena and put a knife to her neck as she pushed the witch down onto the bar top. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Saving my son." Rowena glared back at Angela.

"Your son?" Angela asked.

"Crowley," Rowena smirked.

Angela's brows shot up in surprise. " _Crowley,_ Crowley?"

"My son is a king, a god… or he would be if you didn't…" Rowena scoffed. "You snap your fingers, and he comes running like a wee lapdog."

"Lady, I don't know what you're talking about." Angela shook her head.

"You're a good influence on him," Rowena replied. "That's why you need to die."

"Well, sorry your little light show didn't work." Angela sassed.

"Oh, I'll try again," Rowena assured.

"What, you think I'm just gonna let you walk out of here?" Angela tilted her head.

"I think you're a hero," Rowena replied. "You could have killed those men, but you didn't because they're innocent. 'Cause you're the good guy, and you want them to live. But the spell I cast will devour them from the inside out like it did that girl." She explained. "I'm the only one that can save them. What's it going to be… Hero?"

~/~\~

 _"So, where do we start?"_ Bobby's voice rang through.

"You need to find your heaven's escape hatch," Castiel answered. "Look for something that shouldn't be there, and that's your way out."

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Castiel sat in the car, staking out the playground where the door to Heaven was located.

"You sure he can handle this?" Castiel asked.

"He's Bobby. He can handle anything." Dean replied.

~/~\~

Angela sat at the bar, nursing a drink when she noticed Crowley enter. "Been waiting on you."

"Bambi," Crowley greeted.

"Borris," Angela replied. "Where's Natasha?"

"Would it make a difference?" Crowley countered.

"Not really," Angela replied bluntly. "So, we gonna do this?"

~/~\~

"Go. Go!" Sam shouted as he saw the door to Heaven open.

Sam and Dean attacked the angel standing guard while Castiel jumped through Heaven's door.

~/~\~

"Look, I'm not saying that I didn't want to slice and dice the witch." Angela shrugged. "I'm just saying that that's not how it went down."

"So, she's a liar," Crowley replied.

"Must run in the family," Angela muttered as she sipped her drink.

"Mother says that the mark is just a curse, can be removed," Crowley noted. "Of course, she doesn't know how."

"Figures." Angela scoffed. "But I'm good, thanks."

"Who's the liar now?" Crowley quirked a brow. "She says I've gone soft."

"You have." Angela shrugged, earning a look from Crowley. "What? Yeah, maybe it's all the human blood that Sammy pumped into you, you know? Maybe it's, uh… I don't know. I don't know. But the old Crowley, he would have come in here with hell hounds and demons, and he would have blown the roof off the joint. Now? You didn't want to fight. You wanted to talk. And I've changed, too. Here I am playing Dr. Phil to the King of Hell. Never saw that coming."

"Maybe we're getting old," Crowley suggested.

"Never saw that coming, either." Angela chuckled. "What is it, huh? Why are you letting mommy dearest tie you into knots?"

"Because…" Crowley trailed off. "We're family. Blood."

"That's not the same thing," Angela replied. "A wise man once told me, 'family don't end in blood,' but it doesn't start there, either. Family cares about you, not what you can do for them. Family's there through the good, bad… all of it." She explained. "They got your back… even when it hurts. That's family. That sound like your mother?"

~/~\~

"Sam-tastic! Dean-o!" Metatron greeted as Castiel led him over to the car. "Miss me? Oh, smell that? That smells like freedom. Well, let's go. I call shotgun!"

"You don't get to make demands, Metatron." Castiel rolled his eyes. "You're not in charge here."

"Oh, I'm afraid I am," Metatron smirked smugly. "I know about the mark. I have your grace. I make the rules. It's called leverage, boys. Learn it, live it, love it."

Castiel looked to Sam and Dean, who nodded. Castiel pulled out his blade, sliced Metatron's throat open, and took his grace in a little glass jar. Castiel healed Metatron's throat and Sam shot Metatron in the leg.

"Ow! Ow!" he cried in pain.

"We have your grace, Metatron. You're mortal now." Castiel noted. "So, you will answer our questions, or Sam and Dean will, um… What's the phrase? Blow your fricking brains out. It's called leverage, Metatron."

"Learn it, live it, love it," Dean smirked. "How do we get rid of the mark?"

"I-I don't know." He stammered, and immediately had guns pointed at him. "I don't know! No, i-it's old magic… God-level magic! Or Lucifer-level, but you can't ask him, exactly, can you?"

"What about the tablets?" Castiel questioned.

"No," Metatron shook his head. "Th-there's… there's nothing in them about the mark."

"So, when you said, 'the river ends at the source,' that was—

"I was just making up crap, trying to buy time till I could screw you over," Metatron replied honestly.

"No." Sam shook his head.

"What?! It worked before."

"He's telling the truth." Castiel sighed heavily.

"What?" Dean frowned.

"Shoot him," Castiel instructed.

Sam aimed the gun at Metatron's head.

"No, no! No!" he begged. "Your grace! I wasn't lying about that. There's still some left. I'll take you to it."

"It's your call, Cas," Dean replied.

~/~\~

Angela sat in the bunker library eating a bowl of cereal when Sam and Dean walked in.

"Hey, kiddo." Dean greeted.

"Hey, baby." Sam smiled softly.

"Hey." Angela looked up at them. "How was your 'guys day?'"

"Good. It was fun." Sam leaned down to kiss her on the cheek. "What did you do last night?"

"Played some pool. It was kind of boring." Angela shrugged.

"Alright. I'm gonna clean up." Sam replied.

"Okay." Angela nodded.

~/~\~

Sam walked into his and Angela's bedroom and pulled out a piece of folded paper that Castiel had given to him earlier. Sam unfolded the paper and sat down as he started reading.

" _Sam… So… This is weird, huh? Look, I just wanted to say that Cas told me what you and Dean are doing for Angie. And I'm not asking you boys to stop, but maybe going behind her back ain't the best idea. Your wife, she can be stubborn. But I think she'd understand, she usually does. And I know it's the life… doing a little bad so you can do a lot of good. But sometimes, the bad's real bad and the good… it can come at one hell of a price. You're a good man, Sam Winchester… one of the best. And I'm damn proud of you and your brother, son. I was content up here. But getting the call from you, it's the happiest I've been in forever, no matter what it costs. So, stay safe, keep fighting, and kick it in the ass. Bobby."_

Sam was deep in thought after he finished reading the letter, tears streaking his face.


	35. The Book of the Damned Part 1

_Lebanon, Kansas_

Sam and Dean sat in the Men of Letter's library, Sam was researching on his laptop, when suddenly his phone started ringing.

"Cas?" Sam answered.

 _"Can I just kill him now?"_ Castiel's voice rang through.

"No, we need him alive for now." Sam reminded. "Look, after he gives you your grace back, you can do whatever you want with him."

 _"Well, I'd like to kill him slowly,"_ Castiel muttered. _"Anything on the Mark of Cain?"_

"No." Sam sighed heavily. "I mean, I've been digging for something, for anything, but… I don't know, Cas."

 _"There is an answer out there. We will find a cure for Angela."_ Castiel assured. _"Well, just keep digging."_

Sam looked up to see Angela entering the library with Grace on her hip. "Yeah, uh, no one here by that name. Sorry." Sam hung up the phone before looking up at Angela. "So, I've been checking through everything again, double-checking and triple-checking, and…"

"The mark is a curse." Angela interrupted.

"Yeah," Sam scoffed lightly. "Tell me about it."

"No, guys, it's a… it's an _actual_ curse." Angela clarified.

Dean's brows furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"Crowley told me," Angela replied. "Or rather, Rowena told him after she tried and failed to kill me."

Sam's brows shot up. "What the hell happened?"

"The mark protected me. Rowena doesn't really have a beef with me." Angela shrugged. "She was pissed at Crowley because she thinks he's going soft."

"She's not wrong." Dean shrugged.

"Yeah, well, after he and Mommy Dearest got into a fight…"

"Mommy Dearest?" Sam interrupted Angela.

"Rowena is Crowley's mother," Angela replied, earning surprised looks from the brothers. "More about that later. So, then he came and told me what she said. The mark is an actual curse. So, anyway, I'm sorry. I probably should've told you that."

"Yeah." Sam agreed.

"Yeah." Angela pursed her lips as Sam's phone started ringing. "Winchester Accounting," Angela answered. "How may I help you?"

 _"Angie?"_ Charlie's voice rang through.

"Charlie?" Angela frowned in concern. "What's going on? Where are you?"

 _"Uh, uh, I'm exhausted and… and I'm bleeding,"_ Charlie explained. _"And I'm in a phone booth. A phone booth. I didn't know these things existed outside of Bill and Ted's…"_

Angela immediately put the phone on speaker. "Okay. Hey, hey. Take a deep breath, Charlie. Uh, we're all sitting here. Tell me what happened. Why are you bleeding?"

 _"I, uh—I got shot,"_ Charlie started. _"Did you know dental floss works great on stitches? I only passed out twice, and I'm pretty sure my wound is now minty fresh."_

"Charlie, you probably need to go to a hospital," Sam replied concernedly.

 _"No, no, I-I'm fine."_ She assured. _"I just got to get someplace safe. These guys are still after me."_

"What guys? Who?" Dean questioned.

 _"Some southern fried d-bags. They've been after me since I dug up 'The Book of the Damned.'"_ She answered.

"You found it?" Sam's eyes widened. "Where?"

 _"After some near misses and some broken into museums, I found historical documents that led to a monastery in Spain,"_ Charlie replied. _"It burned down years ago, left for dead, but, uh, I had this hunch about it. Turned out I was right."_

"Okay, Charlie, what does it say about the mark?" Angela asked curiously.

 _"I have no fracking idea,"_ Charlie replied. _"The language it's written in, I've never seen anything like it. I, uh, I found some research notes in the monastery crypt, though, by the Friar that buried it. 'The Book of the Damned' is a spellbook for creating or undoing any kind of damnation there is. We translate the thing, I think we can get the Mark of Cain off you, Angie."_

Angela smiled a small, relieved smile. "Charlie, you're a genius."

 _"A genius fugitive. I—these dudes following me, they are well trained."_ Charlie stressed. _"One of them keeps talking about his family."_

"Family? Did you get a name?" Dean asked.

 _"No clue."_ Charlie sighed. _"I-I-I spotted a tattoo on one of them. Might be a family crest. It seems occulty. Soon as the book was out of the ground, they were all over me. I, uh… I don't know how much more running I got left in me. T-they're tracking the book somehow."_

"Alright, then we need to get you off the grid, Charlie. Where are you right now?" Sam asked.

 _"Uh, just south of Des Moines,"_ Charlie replied.

"Uh, okay, you know what? Our—our friend, Bobby, has a whole bunch of cabins scattered all around, places for hunters to crash." Dean recalled. "You know, it's not much, but there's some gear and lore books, stuff to keep you busy till we get there."

 _"Okay, brings snacks. And every Men of Letters decoder ring there is."_ Charlie instructed. _"This book is old and scary, and I've never seen anything like it."_

~/~\~

Sam and Angela were packing files in a file box in the library while Grace sat on the floor playing with her baby doll.

"Hey, check it out." Dean walked in, carrying a box. "I found this in the storage room. It's lead-lined and warded. If those guys are tracking this book, pretty sure this bad boy will take it off the radar. You guys ready?"

~/~\~

Sam stared at Angela as she hummed along to _'The Boys are Back in Town'_ as it blared through the Impala's speakers. Feeling Sam's eyes on her, she turned to look at him, brows raised.

"What?"

"Nothing," Sam shut off the radio. "Nothing, I just haven't seen you like this in a while, that's all."

"It's a good song, baby." Angela defended.

"Gotta agree with her there, Sammy." Dean chimed in as he drove.

"Yeah, it's…" Sam trailed off.

"Look, Sam, it has been one crap sandwich after another for the past few weeks, okay?" Angela sighed heavily. "You heard Charlie. We got a shot at fixing this thing, so if that doesn't put gas in your tank, well…"

"If by 'shot' you mean a spell in a book that we can't read that's currently being tracked…" Sam scoffed.

"We're due for a win, okay?" Angela shrugged. "Overdue. I'll tell you another thing, if this actually does work, we're gonna take some time off."

"What, like a vacation?" Dean quirked a brow.

"Mm-hmm." Angela hummed. "And I'm not talking just like a weekend in Vegas or sitting in some crap motel. No, I'm talking about a beach. Drinking cervezas, go for a swim… When was the last time any of us went to a beach?"

"Never," Sam replied obviously.

"Sand between our toes, Sammy. Sand between our toes." Angela murmured as she turned the radio back on.

~/~\~

_Blaine, Missouri_

The Impala pulled up in front of a cabin by a picturesque lake. Sam, Dean, and Angela entered the cabin. Sam carried Grace in his arms.

"Charlie?" Dean called out.

Charlie was sleeping at a table and bolted up with a post-it note on her face. "Merry Christmas!"

"Hey." Angela greeted softly.

"Hello." Grace waved at Charlie.

Charlie grinned and walked over to Sam, taking Grace from him. "Hey, cutie. You are getting so big!"

"I know, right?" Sam agreed. "She's growing up way too fast."

"How are you feeling, Charlie?" Angela asked concernedly.

"Um… I may have just passed out, but better." Charlie shrugged. "Were you followed?"

"No, no." Dean shook his head.

"Where's the book?" Angela asked curiously.

"Okay," Charlie started as she handed Grace back to Sam. "Here's what I've learned so far. About 700 years ago, a nun locked herself away after having visions of darkness. After a few decades squirreled away by herself, she emerged with this." She pulled the book out of her backpack. "Each page is made out of slices of her own skin written in her blood. I told you, it's eekish." She added as she handed the book to Dean.

Angela stared at the book, almost longingly. It was almost as if the book was having some strange effect on her.

"According to the notes I found, it's been owned and used by cults, covens, and the Vatican had it for a while." Charlie continued. "There's a spell inside that thing for everything. Talking some black mass, dark magic, end-of-times nastiness. As far as what language it's written in, I'm thinking it's some kind of… uh…"

"Angie?" Sam called out. "Angie!"

Angela was across the room and looked up from the book suddenly in her hands. "Wh-what?"

Sam, Dean, and Charlie each exchanged concerned glances.

"I don't think it's a good idea if I touch this." Angela closed the book and handed it back to Charlie. "I'll go get the rest of our bags."

"Right," Sam muttered as Angela walked outside.

"What the hell was that?" Charlie demanded.

"She's not getting better," Dean replied gravely. "She's trying to cover, but… We need to find that cure, _fast."_


	36. The Book of the Damned Part 2

"Okay, I got a pretty good look at his tattoo," Charlie started. "It's something like this." She handed Angela a piece of paper with a drawing of the tattoo.

"The douche clan. Got it." Angela muttered as she and Dean opened the file box. "Well, this is everything the Men of Letters had on occult families, so there should be something in here."

"Sam, got anything?" Charlie asked curiously.

"Maybe," Sam muttered. "Uh, yeah, it's all in an obscure Sumerian dialect. Actually found a rough match for it in this book."

"Great." Charlie nodded.

"More juice, dada." Grace held out her empty sippy cup.

"Just a minute, Peanut," Sam replied before looking back at Charlie. "I thought so, too. But I've been translating, but none of the translated words make any sense. It's all just gibberish. I mean, maybe it's in a different dialect?"

"No, no, no. You're right, but I-I-I think… I think this is in code." Charlie replied.

"An entire book of unreadable text that's _also_ in code. Great." Sam rolled his eyes as he took Grace's cup and went to get her more juice.

"And you call yourself nerds." Dean shook his head. "Come on. You got this."

"He's right. Let's get out Alan Turing on. Decrypt this bitch." Charlie smiled.

Sam noticed Angela staring at the book and pursed his lips. "You know what, Charlie? Why, uh… Um, why don't we stick to my notes for a bit?" he suggested, giving Grace her sippy cup. "This book is literally making my eyes hurt."

Sam grabbed the book and put it into the warded lock-box.

~/~\~

"Okay, even the Bletchley Circle couldn't crack this thing," Charlie started. "I've tried every cryptographic algorithm there is. Good egg."

"Well, maybe that's not such a bad thing." Angela shrugged as she looked through the files. "Those people following you… Hmm? All kinds of wrong. Talking multi-generational, centuries-old wrong. The Styne family. Men of Letters' files have them dated back to the early 1800s. They used spells to create disease, to destabilize markets. Hell, they even helped the Nazis before they came into power, and they profited from all of it."

"So, they're like the supernatural Du Ponts?" Charlie tilted her head curiously.

"Basically." Angela nodded. "All the spells they used came from a book of 'unspeakable evil' which they lost nearly a hundred years ago."

"Okay, so they're bad." Sam shrugged. "So, what. We faced worse."

"Sammy's right." Dean agreed. "We've taken on much bigger fish, kiddo."

"Guys, read the file," Angela stressed, obviously frustrated. "The way the book works, is when you use it, there is a negative reaction. I'm talking biblical negative. Dark magic always comes with a price. We know that. We've been down that road before."

"Well, let's at least translate it, see what it says," Charlie replied with a small shrug.

"You guys don't understand." Angela shook her head. "The book's been calling out to me ever since I laid eyes on it, okay? Calling out to the mark. I can hear it like it's alive." She explained. "It wants me to use it, but not for good. Look, I wanted it to be the answer too, okay? I really did. But we have to get rid of that. Burn it, bury it, I don't give a damn. We'll just have to find another way to fix the mark."

"Like what?" Sam demanded.

"I don't know." Angela snapped.

"So, you're giving up?" Charlie questioned.

"No, I'm not giving up," Angela replied firmly. "Charlie, I don't have a death wish. Okay, even if I did, I can't die, not with this thing on my arm. What I can do is fight it as long as I can until…"

"Until what?" Dean narrowed his eyes. "Tell us. Until what, Angie? Until we watch you become a demon again? Until then?" he pressed. "We can't do that kiddo, we won't."

"Well, then you'll just have to lock me up. Bind me to the bunker, like you did last time." Angela retorted.

"That doesn't solve anything." Charlie shook her head.

"Look, just let us translate the book, okay, baby?" Sam pleaded. "If there's a cure, we'll do it and deal with the consequences later. I can't lose you, baby."

"Really?" Angela raised her brows.

"Yeah, really," Sam replied obviously.

"You change your mind on that, 'cause that's not what you said last time." Angela scoffed, knowing it was a low blow.

"Oh, come on, Angie," Sam sighed heavily. "You _know_ I didn't mean that."

"This is my cross to bear, Sam!" Angela yelled. "Mine! And that book is not the answer! Now we got to destroy it before it falls into the wrong hands, and that includes me! I'm gonna go to the store."

"Angie, look…" Sam attempted to stop her.

"We'll figure out another way." Angela interrupted, her voice softening. "And Sammy, I'll get my vacation. But not today. Not like this."

Angela kissed Sam on the cheek before walking out of the cabin, leaving them behind.

"Guys, maybe she's right." Charlie looked up at the brothers.

"No, there's a way to fix it. There has to be." Sam shook his head.

~/~\~

"What did Angie mean?" Charlie asked suddenly. "When she said you changed your mind?"

"You're explaining that one, man," Dean muttered.

"So," Sam shifted slightly on the couch. "A while back, we had a chance to, um… close the Gates of Hell. And in order to do that, I would've had to die. And, I was okay with that, and I am okay with that, but Dean and Angie were not. And Angie, um, she…"

"She saved you." Charlie finished.

"Yeah," Sam murmured. "She saved me."

"And let me guess, in doing so, she did something you didn't want, and that pissed you off. And you said something that hurt her?" Charlie quirked a brow.

"Spot on," Dean muttered.

"Yeah," Sam nodded. "That sounds about right."

"You know, I haven't been a hunter for very long, but it feels like this is the life. Mostly ends in Sophie's choices, death, or tears." Charlie noted. "Usually, all of the above, huh? How did this become my life? I mean, I was gonna own my own start-up, marry ScarJo, invent something cool. Now I'm just… I'm just happy to be alive."

"You know, when Dean came to get me at school, I-I told myself… one last job, you know? One more job. And then when—when I, um… When I lost Jess, I again, told myself one more job." Sam explained. "And then we met Angie, and… this is my life. I love it. But I can't do it without my wife. I don't _want_ to do it without my wife. And if she's gone, then I don't…"

"I got it. I-I do." Charlie sympathized.

~/~\~

Angela walked into the Gas n' Sip, and the door rang as she did so.

"Afternoon, ma'am." Jacob greeted with a thick southern drawl.

"Howdy." Angela grabbed some snacks and put them on the counter. "There we go."

"That'll be it for you?" Jacob asked.

"Uh, yeah, that's it." Angela nodded.

"Okay, then, that'll be $15.75," Jacob replied.

Angela took out a twenty and handed it to Jacob, frowning slightly when she noticed the familiar tattoo on his wrist.

"You heading home or you just passing through?" Jacob asked, bringing Angela back to reality.

"Just passing through," Angela answered.

Jacob put the money in the cash register. Angela looked at the store mirror and saw the dead clerk behind the counter next to Jacob.

"Must get awful lonely out here by yourself," Angela commented.

"Oh, I get by." Jacob shrugged.

"Don't move," Angela commanded as she took out her gun and pointed it at Jacob. "Hands where I can see them."

"Don't you want your change, darlin'?" Jacob threw the change in her face and another man with him grabbed Angela from behind. "Now… who might you be?" Jacob pointed his knife at Angela before he noticed the mark on her arm. "Well, hello there. Where'd a back-road nothing like you get their hands on something like that?"

"What's it to you, Mr. Styne?" Angela drawled.

"My friends call me Jacob." He replied.

"Well, I ain't your friend." Angela sassed.

"Those wouldn't happen to be treats for a redheaded little gal, now would they?" Jacob nodded to the snacks. "Y'all hid the book, didn't you? Lead-lined little number, I'm betting."

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about." Angela glared.

"You don't?" Jacob tilted his head. "See that? That man back there, well he said the same thing as all the others at truck stops and gas stations up and down the way. Nobody had seen that redheaded girl. And then a woman bearing the mark comes in here, to me. Well, there coincidence, and then there's just providence. See, 'The Book of the Damned,' it wants to be found." He explained. "It wants to come home. Let me guess. You want to use it to get that gift off your arm, don't you? Power is wasted on the weak. Now the book… can remove that mark. But you mess around with that, you're gonna do far more harm than good. So, why don't you do the right thing here, girl, and tell me where that book is."

"Yeah, sure, I'll tell you," Angela replied before mumbling something.

"One more time. I didn't hear you, darlin'." Jacob leaned in closer.

"I said…" Angela trailed off before headbutting Jacob and knocking the man holding him off.

Angela dived to the ground to grab her gun, pointing it up at the man coming at her. She shot as she pushed herself along the floor away from the man, but the man just followed. The man finally fell after Angela emptied the clip into him. Angela reloaded and stood up, groaning when she saw that Jacob was gone and her cell phone was broken.

~/~\~

Charlie was stoking the fire as Angela came in the door, clearly frantic.

"What's going on?" Charlie frowned deeply.

"The Styne's, they found me. Those douches are all jacked up, too." Angela replied.

"What are you talking about?" Sam's brows furrowed.

Angela threw a cup of liquid into the fire. "I emptied a full clip into one of them before the son of a bitch went down. Charlie, take Grace and hide. Quickly."

Charlie nodded and picked up Grace, quickly leaving to hide in one of the cabin's bedrooms.

"Kid, what are you doing with the holy oil?" Dean questioned.

Angela looked out the window, noticing that the Stynes were now outside the cabin. "There is a cure for the mark in the book. But it comes at a price. We got to destroy it."

"Are you sure about this?" Sam asked concernedly.

"It's calling to me, Sam, okay? I can hear it." Angela explained. "It's calling to the mark. It wants me to take the book and run away with it. Burn it now."

The three hunters heard the Styne's outside. Angela and Dean both pulled out their guns.

"Sam, burn it now!" Angela demanded.

One of the Stynes crashed through the window, grabbing Angela, while another crashed through the other window and grabbed Dean. Sam took the lockbox with the book to the fireplace. Angela and Dean were fighting off the Stynes as Sam took the wrapped book out of the lockbox. Jacob broke down the front door of the cabin and sauntered in. Angela shot Jacob, who kept heading toward Sam at the fireplace. Sam quickly threw the wrapped book in the fire.

"You silly boy," Jacob chuckled darkly.

Angela kept shooting Jacob repeatedly as Jacob grabbed Sam's throat. Sam stabbed him until Jacob finally collapsed. The book was burning in the fireplace.

~/~\~

Castiel, Sam, and Dean were sitting at the map table in the war room. Grace sat on Sam's lap, holding her baby doll toy.

"I was foolish, selfish." Castiel shook his head. "Should've just killed him. Who knows what he'll do with that tablet."

"Well, you know what, Cas? You got your grace back." Sam shrugged. "You're back. You did the right thing."

"You did the right thing. The book needed to be destroyed. We will find another way, Sam." Castiel replied.

Suddenly, the door opened, and Charlie entered carrying to plastic bags. She headed down the stairs.

"We're back, bitches!" she exclaimed, a grin on her face. Her eyes widened when she saw Castiel. "Whoa! Is that who I think it is?"

"Charlie, Cas. Cas, Charlie." Dean introduced the two.

Charlie immediately hugged Castiel, taking him by surprise. "I thought you'd be shorter."

Charlie pulled away and put the bags on the table.

"I'm gonna get these to the fridge." Dean stood up and picked up the bags.

Sam stood up and followed Dean, Grace in his arms.

"Heard you got your mojo back," Charlie smirked.

"Yes, my—my grace, it's—it's been restored," Castiel confirmed.

"So, can't you just—you know… cure Angie?"

"Unfortunately, it's not that simple." Castiel shook his head.

"Oh. Never is, is it?" Charlie sighed heavily. "Do you think you could do anything about my carpal tunnel?" she asked.

Castiel place two fingers on Charlie's forehead.

"Is that it?" her brows furrowed.

"Your carpal tunnel and your bullet wound are now healed," Castiel replied. "You may want to continue wearing your wrist brace at night, though."

"Did we just become best friends?" Charlie's eyes lit up.

"Hey, look who decided to show," Angela commented as she walked in carrying pizza boxes. "So?" she looked up at Castiel. "You're back? 100-percent? How did that happen?"

As Angela set the food on the table, Sam and Dean entered the room.

"Mama!" Grace exclaimed from Sam's arms.

"Hi, sweet girl." Angela smiled softly.

"Um, it was Hannah," Castiel answered. "She managed to get the location of the remainder of my grace out of Metatron."

"Awesome." Angela nodded. "I told you we were due for a win. Good to have you back, Cas."

~/~\~

After putting Grace to bed, everyone sat at the table, eating and drinking. Angela was opening a beer bottle, laughing at something Dean said, and Sam was trying to smile, but looked uncomfortable.

~/~\~

Sam sat at a table in a fairly nice restaurant. "I don't trust you and… I never will. But I need help, and this is right in your wheelhouse." He opened the lockbox and 'The Book of the Damned' was in it.

~/~\~

_"Sam, burn it now!" Angela yelled._

_While Angela and Dean were fighting the Styne family members, Sam removed 'The Book of the Damned' from the lockbox and unwrapped it. Jacob broke through the door and Angela shot him. Sam put it back in the lockbox and grabbed another book off the table. He wrapped it in the cloth and threw that on the fire._

_"You silly boy," Jacob chuckled as he grabbed Sam's throat. "My family will never stop looking for that book._

~/~\~

"I need the Mark of Cain off my wife. Something tells me you can crack this book and find that cure. The only question is… will you help me?" Sam asked.

"Shall we discuss terms?" Rowena smirked back at the hunter.


	37. The Werther Project Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey, guys! I did want to put a quick disclaimer that this chapter and the next one do involve suicide attempts/self-harm, so if those are topics that make you uncomfortable, I suggest skipping these next two chapters. Love y'all, xoxo

"There's only one thing you could possibly do for me that I can't," Rowena started. "At least presently, do for myself. Kill my son. He's expecting it from me. Already has his stinking minions on high alert. And if you're wondering how a mother can get to the point of wanting her own son—

"No, I'm really not." Sam interrupted. "I'll do it. I'll kill Crowley. First things first—can you read the book?"

"Of course I can," Rowena confirmed. "I'm likely the only witch alive who can understand such old, dark magic. Just not in its present form."

"Drink's on me." Sam closed the lockbox with the book inside.

"Hey, you're not going anywhere, pal." Rowena retorted. "I'm your mortal enemy. I've tried to kill you, your brother, and your wife—your wife as recently as last month. You wouldn't have come to me if I wasn't your last resort. You're desperate. You can stop pretending you're not."

Sam was only half paying attention as his cell phone buzzed.

"So rude," Rowena commented as Sam took his phone out to read the text. "Now, I can't read the book in its present form, but there is someone who could. Nadya. Grand Coven witch."

"Where do I find her?" Sam questioned.

"You don't. She's dead." Rowena replied. "Long ago. Murdered for her life's work. Her decryption formulas, her codex… That you can find. Bring me Nadya's codex, and I'll… break this text right open and give you your cure."

"Where do I look?" Sam asked.

"If I were you, I'd start at home," Rowena suggested. "Who do you think murdered Nadya and stole the codex in the first place?"

"The Men of Letters." Sam realized.

~/~\~

_Tulsa, Oklahoma_

Angela decapitated a vampire and looked around at all of the other decapitated bodies. She exited the trailer and was washing her machete in a barrel of water. She then washed her hands before opening a refrigerator and grabbing a can of beer.

"Ha-ha! Jackpot." She smirked.

"Angie!" Sam ran up to her with his machete in hand.

"Hey, babe." Angela greeted.

"Hey." Sam breathed out. "What happened? What is this? Where's Dean?"

"I know, right? Six vamps. Solo. I think that's gotta be a personal best." Angela replied proudly. "And back at the bunker with Grace, I'd assume. I left before he could ask me where I was going."

"You couldn't have waited?" Sam raised his brows.

"For what?" Angela's brows furrowed.

"For what?" Sam repeated incredulously.

"Oh, come on, babe." Angela rolled her eyes. "I can handle it. I _did_ handle it."

"What if you couldn't?" Sam asked.

"But I did. It's done." She shrugged. "Come on, Sammy. It's the only way I can take the edge off. I'm sorry. I don't always like to wait around for you, especially with you looking at me like that all the time."

"Look at you like what?" Sam frowned.

"Like that. Like I'm some sort of a-a-a diseased killer puppy." Angela retorted. "You know what, babe? I'm sweaty and I'm covered in vamp juice. Can we just talk about this later? I'd like to get back to the bunker, see our daughter, and relax. We cool?"

"Cool," Sam muttered.

~/~\~

_Lebanon, Kansas_

Angela was asleep in the bed that she shared with Sam with Grace cuddled up next to her. Sam looked in the doorway at Angela and walked away. He rushed to the library and began looking in the catalogs.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked suddenly.

Sam jumped slightly and looked over at his brother. "Nothing…"

"Wanna try that again?" Dean raised his brows.

Sam took an envelope on the files and sighed heavily. "I met with Rowena—

"You what?" Dean narrowed his eyes.

"She knows how to read _'The Book of the Damned.'_ " Sam muttered.

"I thought you burned it." Dean folded his arms across his chest.

"Not so much. I burned some other book." Sam looked down guiltily. "But Rowena said if we got her this codex, she could translate the book. So, I'm starting here."

"Dude…" Dean shook his head. "When Angie finds out, she's gonna be pissed."

"Dean, we have to save her. We have to." Sam defended as he removed an audiotape reel and started playing the tape.

 _"Please let's come to order,"_ Markham's voice played. _"Men of Letters meeting minutes—May 16, 1956. On the matter of Cuthbert Sinclair expulsion. This is hardly your first offense, Cuthbert."_ He explained. _"You've been cited for disciplinary infractions seven times in the course of your tenure. This… enchanted vault of yours, this… Werther box. A warding so potent it achieves a theoretical rate of… in your own words, 98% lethality."_

 _"Extreme measures were warranted."_ Cuthbert defended. _"The Coven's desperate to get the codex back. The Werther box works."_

 _"All too well, I'd say,"_ Markham replied. _"Working in secret, embarking on this project without oversight… you left two fellow Men of Letters vulnerable to your most potent magics. Fletcher and Martinez were members in good standing. Fletcher chanced upon the box and died in two hours. Martinez heroically tried to shut it down. We found him dead on the floor beside the box, his wrists cut."_

 _"I already apologized for that accident,"_ Cuthbert stressed. _"I refuse to do so again. Why are you so small-minded? Hmm? We were brought here to do great things. To take risks, to bring the fight to the monsters of this world. And yet, to a man, you choose instead to molder in these stacks. You are not men. You are NOT men. You're librarians, nothing more."_

 _"Before we rule on what is to be done with you, I'm prepared to give you a chance to secure our leniency,"_ Markham offered. _"Tell us how to shut it down. The box is still in St. Louis with the codex. It's still a danger."_

 _"Let me tell you what you can do with your leniency, Markham,"_ Cuthbert replied. _"You know, I saw the writing on the wall. I knew you cowards would shut this project down, which is why I built it the way I did. There is only one way to silence the Werther for good. Let's just say Martinez was on the right track. I doubt you have the guts, but you're welcome to die trying."_

 _"Markham, would you have us keep trying?"_ one member asked.

 _"The box is to be interred and guarded where it stands, in perpetuity. Bury it."_ Markham instructed.

Sam shut off the tape and grabbed a book off the shelf and flipped to the page with the address for the Men of Letters headquarters in St. Louis. He scribbled down the address on a notepad.

~/~\~

Sam paced the library as he waited for Rowena to answer the phone. Dean stood nearby, arms folded across his chest.

 _"It's a bit early,"_ Rowena's voice rang through. _"I'm over 300-years-old. Beauty sleep isn't optional."_

"I've been looking into the, uh, thing we discussed," Sam replied. "So, I got a lead, but it's guarded by a violent enchantment. I need a spell to… break the spell."

 _"The Cabirian invocation. Easy to obtain. Good all-purpose disenchantment."_ Rowena explained.

"Great. Thanks." Sam replied.

 _"Uh, but… It's not recommended for amateurs."_ She warned. _"In inexperienced hands, the invocation has a way of fizzling out. I could come. You might need me."_

"I'll take my chances. Thanks." Sam replied before hanging up.

"This is a terrible idea." Dean shook his head.

~/~\~

_St. Louis, Missouri_

Sam stared at the white house. The grounds were overgrown, and the house was in disarray. Sam took a deep breath and walked up to the front door, noticing the pile of newspapers on the porch. Sam peered in the window and took out his lock-pick and he began to pick the lock. Suddenly, a shotgun was shoved out the mail slot, aimed at Sam's crotch.

"Whoa!" Sam jumped back.

"Bad idea," Suzie warned.

"I-I can explain." Sam stammered.

"Yeah, don't bother." She retorted. "You got three choices—get arrested, get your bits blown off, or get back."

"Yeah, alright. I think I'll, uh, think I'll get back. Sorry." Sam backed up from the door.

"Attaboy."

"Yeah," Sam muttered as he headed down the stairs and got back in his car.

Suddenly, the passenger door opened, and Angela got in, surprising Sam.

"Hi, Sammy." Angela greeted. "How's the case?"

"What are you doing here?" Sam asked.

"Dean told me where you were going." She answered. "Look, you were right, okay? I shouldn't have gone off solo like I did. It was stupid."

"And?" Sam raised his brows.

"And selfish. It was a douche move." Angela replied. "If you're doing this case by yourself to teach me a lesson, you don't have to, okay?"

"So, what do you know about the St. Louis suicide house?" Sam sighed heavily.

"I got the basics from Google," Angela answered. "The family moves into a long-vacant house. Uh, one week later, three of 'em dead by their own hands. The whole family wiped out except for the daughter; which the house is still under her name. I'm figuring she's the one who nearly unmanned you back there." She explained. "But see, here's what I don't get. A cold case is one thing, but… this is subzero. I mean, there's nothing even in our wheelhouse, unless you know something I don't."

Sam swallowed nervously, realizing that Dean _definitely_ left out some information when he told Angela about the St. Louis house. "Yeah. Um… That long-vacant home used to be a Men of Letters chapter house. Remember Magnus?"

"You mean the dick ex-Men of Letters that tried to make a zoo exhibit out of me?" Angela scoffed. "Yeah."

"Before he was expelled, he built Werther, a magical box with a deadly alarm system," Sam explained. "Werther is buried somewhere in that house. It was supposed to have been guarded, but I'm guessing that plan went out the window when Abaddon massacred the entire membership in '58."

"And then the house stayed in limbo until some lucky family bought it," Angela replied.

"Werther's a time bomb and it needs to be defused. Not only is this in our wheelhouse, it's our responsibility," Sam replied.

"Our responsibility?" Angela quirked a brow.

"We inherited the Men of Letters, Angie," Sam replied.

"Well, hey, if you say this is a case, I'm in, if you'll have me, baby." Angela kissed his cheek.

~/~\~

Angela walked up to the front door and knocked lightly. Suzie opened the door, aiming the gun at Angela.

"What did I say?" Suzie snapped angrily.

"I, aah!" Angela jumped.

"You're not… Fella tried to…" Suzie muttered. "What do you want?"

"You saw him?" Angela's eyes widened. "Oh, tell me you did. I'm sorry, but my name is Melissa Twilley. I'm with the neighborhood watch. We're—we're looking into a few recent break-ins. And if you saw the guy and you—you could give me a description, it would be mighty helpful. If I could—if I could just have a minute of your time?"

"Uh, tall white fella," Suzie noted as Angela stepped into the house.

"Uh, huh." Angela nodded.

"Pretty hair," Suzie added.

"Mm-hmm."

~/~\~

Sam was outside, attempting to pick the lock on the back door.

~/~\~

"It's a nice house you have here, uh…" Angela trailed off.

"Suzie."

"Suzie," Angela repeated. "You live alone?"

"Just me and Gus," Suzie replied.

"Gus?" Angela asked.

Suzie raised up her gun. Sam entered the kitchen through the back door, when suddenly, the kettle began to whistle. Suzie headed for the kitchen, followed by Angela. Sam was now hiding in the hall outside the kitchen. Suzie turned off the kettle and Angela signaled Sam to go and Sam began picking the lock on the basement door.

"So, all alone in this big house, huh?" Angela asked. "Must get lonely, even with, uh, Gus."

"Yeah, well, I'm used to being alone." Suzie offered Angela a cup of tea.

"No, no. I'm fine, thanks." Angela smiled.

~/~\~

Sam entered the basement door and turned on his flashlight as he walked down the steps. Sam noticed a pile of furniture by one of the walls.

~/~\~

"Been alone here since… uh, '80?" Suzie recalled. "After my family died, my Aunt Pauline moved in. She took care of me, raised me for a few years. The, well…"

~/~\~

Sam began moving the furniture, grimacing as he unintentionally made some noise.

~/~\~

"So, uh, what—what happened? To your aunt?" Angela asked curiously.

"Well… I told her not to go in the basement. No one goes in the basement." Suzie replied ominously.

~/~\~

Sam went through the hole in the wall and walked toward the Werther box.

~/~\~

"What's in the basement, Suzie?" Angela asked, earning no response. "Ma'am, are you okay?"

~/~\~

Sam started putting ingredients in the spell bowl.

~/~\~

Suddenly, Suzie pulled a gun on Angela, causing her to jump in surprise.

"Oh! Whoa! Suzie!" Angela exclaimed.

"My social skills may be rusty, but I'm no idiot." Suzie glared. "Doorbell hasn't rung in months, and two visitors in one hour? On breaking in, and the other asking all sorts of questions about…"

"I told you, I was from the neighborhood watch. I—

"Yeah, yeah, neighborhood watch. Right." Suzie interrupted. "Have you seen this house? There's only one thing in here worth getting at and it sure as hell ain't me. You came for the box."

~/~\~

Sam lit the ingredients in the bowl on fire and started chanting.

"Purificare la magia."

~/~\~

"She wants you up here, now!" Angela yelled so Sam could hear.

~/~\~

Sam turned the handle on the box, ignoring Angela.

~/~\~

"No! No! Get out! Get out! Out! Out!" Suzie screamed.

"Okay. Okay." Angela held her hands up as she headed toward the front door.

"You let it out!" Suzie yelled.

The green smoke came up from the basement. It entered Suzie's and Angela's eyes just as Sam ran up from the basement.

"Angie!" Sam yelled before Suzie aimed her gun at him. "Hey. Hey, hey, hey. Take it easy."

"You have any idea what you've done?" Suzie asked, clearly frightened.

"Put the gun down. We talk about this, okay?" Sam replied gently.

Suzie's eyes widened as the ghost of her brother appeared behind Sam and Angela. "What's that?"

"Hey Suzie, you miss me?" Brad taunted.

"Oh, my God." Suzie breathed out.

"What's wrong with her?" Angela asked.

"I don't know." Sam shook his head.

"Stay back! Stay back!" Suzie aimed her gun at her brother.

"Go," Angela told Sam before they ran out of the room.

"Come on, Suze," Brad started. "That any way to treat your family?"

Suzie shot at the ghost of her brother and backed into the kitchen, noticing the ghost of her mother.

"Hello, Suzie." Her mother greeted.

"Oh!" Suzie gasped.

~/~\~

"What are you doing, huh?" Angela asked Sam. "You don't have a plan. You don't have a defense."

~/~\~

Suzie ran into the office and saw the ghost of her father.

"You did this to us." Her father said icily as her mother appeared.

"You let it out." Her mother added as Suzie's brother appeared.

"We died while you slept." Brad shook his head.

"No!" Suzie cried.

~/~\~

"Suzie!" Sam yelled, running toward the office.

Angela suddenly turned and walked the other way. She stepped and it seemed like she was in some sort of forest, yet she was actually still in the living room.

~/~\~

"Suzie?" Sam ran up to the locked door of the office.

"Please! No! Stop! No!" Suzie yelled from the other side.

Sam knocked frantically on the door. "Suzie! Suzie, let me in! I can help you!"

"Stop!" she cried loudly.

"Suzie, it's not real!" Sam yelled firmly. "Suzie, please! Suzie! Hey, let me in. I can help you, okay?"

"Oh, please, no." Suzie sobbed.

"Suzie?" Sam asked. "Angie!"

~/~\~

_Angela took a few steps and she immediately remembered this forest. This was the forest where that wendigo killed her father…_

_"Sammy?" Angela asked._

~/~\~

Sam heard a shot and the office door opened.

"Suzie?" he frowned deeply.

Sam entered the office and saw that Suzie had shot and killed herself.

~/~\~

_"Crap," Angela muttered as she looked around._

~/~\~

Sam turned around and saw the ghost of Suzie.

"Boo." She glared. "Survived 40 years in this house, keeping that thing on lockdown, and one visit from a putz like you…"

"I'm sorry, okay? I'm so sorry." Sam apologized sincerely.

"Lot of good 'sorry' does me." Suzie scoffed. "Look at me. Look… at… me." She pointed to her corpse. "There she is. The first casualty of your misguided mission. But what's another human life to you? Anything's worth it, as long as you two make it out alive. And how's that search going? Any closer to a cure?"

"This isn't real. You're not real." Sam shook his head.

"You think Angela's the wild card, the loose cannon. But don't you see?" Suzie questioned. "Making deals with witches, opening Pandora's box down there? You're the reckless one. You'll do anything to keep clinging to that doomed wife of yours. How many more will die, Sammy? You know it. You have to be stopped. And the only one who can stop you is you! Do it, Sammy! End this once and for all!" she directed him toward the gun.

Suddenly, almost out of nowhere, Rowena appeared in the doorway. "Vanesce!" she yelled, causing Suzie's ghost to disappear. "Told you you'd need me."


	38. The Werther Project Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: As I said in the previous chapter, this one also deals with self-harm and suicide, so please proceed with caution.

"How did you find me?" Sam questioned the witch.

"Same way I just saved you—magic," Rowena answered. "Had a feeling you might be in over your head."

"Yeah, well you can't be here. If Angie sees you…" Sam trailed off as he headed to the living room where Angela stood. "Angie!"

"Sam!" Angela cried, still think she was in the forest.

"Hey, Angie," Sam frowned. "What are you doing?"

~/~\~

_Angela was walking through the forest, looking around._

_"Angela!" a voice called._

_She turned around and her eyes widened as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing._

_"Dad?"_

~/~\~

"No, no, it can't be you," Angela said, her eyes blank.

"Hey. Hey, hey, hey, hey." Sam clapped his hands. "Wake up! Angie, whatever you're seeing, it's not real."

"Real enough to her," Rowena commented as she entered the living room.

Sam turned around to stare Rowena down. "What are you doing?"

"She can't see me, Sam," Rowena explained. "Yeah, she's too far gone."

"Can you wake her up?" Sam asked, brows furrowed.

"I only brought enough dispelling magic for one. Maybe if you'd told me we'd have company…" Rowena pursed her lips.

"There is no we." Sam snapped.

"Fine, take this all on by yourself." Rowena shrugged. "But the odds are totally stacked against you."

"You're not real," Angela said in a monotone voice.

"Oh, the spell's got its hooks in deep," Rowena noted. "If you want her woken up… You're gonna have to rip this enchantment out by the root."

"The box!" Sam realized. "If we can figure out the fail-safe, we can break the spell and get the codex. Suzie's hallucinations drove her to suicide. Same thing happened to her family. Werther's illusions tried to do the same thing to me."

"And so?" Rowena asked.

"So, I can't leave Angie alone like this," Sam replied.

"Well then, we'll just have to tie up the bonny lass. Could be fun." Rowena smirked.

~/~\~

_"Hi, pumpkin." Robert greeted his daughter softly._

_"Dad… I—_

_"I know. It's been a while." Robert interrupted._

_"You aren't… you aren't my dad." Angela shook her head._

_"I'm not? Well, shoot." Robert chuckled._

_"I wish you were. I wish to God you were really my dad." Angela's voice cracked. "But you are just a figment, okay? You're—you're subconscious junk my brain's throwing up to distract me from getting back to reality."_

_"Figment? Junk? Well, that's no way to talk to your father." Robert reprimanded. "Why not trust me, pumpkin? Besides, if all I am is your subconscious junk, well, then how can I lead you wrong?"_

_Angela frowned as they walked up to the spot they were at when they started._

_"Well, how about that? A perfect circle." Robert commented. "Don't look at me, pumpkin. You chose the way."_

~/~\~

Angela was now tied to a chair in Suzie's house.

~/~\~

"Here it is." Sam led Rowena down to the basement. "There's some kind of inscription."

"It's some kind of cursive, but the light source has dimmed," Rowena muttered. "I know what I've said about your kind, but… oh, the man who came up with this? The craftsmanship of the box, the sadism of the spell work… it's all so… deliciously baroque."

"Alright, come on," Sam replied.

"Illumnia…" Rowena started chanting.

~/~\~

_Angela and Robert were walking and they ended up at the same tree again._

_"Well, now that is just creepy," Robert commented._

_"Dad… whoever you are, I need to get out of here!" Angela stressed._

_"Need and want are just two different things, ain't they?" Robert mused. "It's all a figment, right? You, me, left, right. But no matter which way you turn, you keep ending up here. You gotta wonder—why this figment? Why this place?"_

_"What are you saying?" Angela's brows furrowed._

_"Nothing you don't already know, pumpkin. This is where you wanna be." Robert replied. "And you don't really wanna leave."_

~/~\~

"Acram confutare…" Rowena continued.

"To silence the box…" Sam trailed off.

"Mmm." Rowena hummed. "Sitim restinguere…"

"Slake its thirst."

"Sanguine nostrum…"

"With… the blood of our own." Sam frowned.

"That's it? The blood of its own… What?" Rowena questioned.

"The blood of our own," Sam repeated. "Men of Letters blood. Legacy blood. My blood."

"Oh," Rowena replied.

~/~\~

_"Angela, slow down. Angela, stop." Robert demanded. "Listen. This… This place you don't have to go looking for a fight. It's just you and me, hunting, like old times. That's why you're here, pumpkin. That's the purity you crave—killing with no consequence."_

_"No, dad." Angela shook her head. "I don't wanna fight anymore. I'm tired of fighting."_

_"Well, that's just not how I raised you," Robert replied. "Besides, the mark isn't. So, can't leave, don't wanna stay, bit of a bind, ain't it? Good thing there's always a third way out. You can't say you haven't been thinking about it."_

_"That isn't going to happen, ever," Angela replied firmly._

_"Come on, Angela. I know you can see it. The purity, the honor." Robert pursed his lips._

_"There's no honor in that." Angela shook her head._

_"What, you just wanna wait for the mark to reclaim you?" Robert quirked a brow. "Go out swinging, die topside, then what? Maybe kill a few humans? Kill Cas? Kill Dean? Kill your husband? Yeah, that's mighty honorable!"_

_"Dad, shut up!" Angela yelled._

_"Oh, I-I'm sorry. I forgot… about your plan." Robert scoffed. "You gonna get Sam, Dean, and Cas to put you down? You really think they're gonna keep that agreement? Come on. Angela, let's say they do. Do you really think they will ever recover from that? It will ruin them. And when your daughter finds out… This little backup plan of yours, I know you've been thinking about it for a time, I know it's been gnawing at you. You can't leave that job to them."_

_"You're right." Angela murmured._

~/~\~

In the living room, Angela started to break the ropes that bound her to the chair.

~/~\~

_"Out there? You're sleeping." Robert commented. "You make the right choice in here, you'll sleep forever, and you won't ever hurt anyone ever again. No one needs to know, Angie."_

~/~\~

In Suzie's living room, Angela picked up a nearby bottle and smashed it on the dresser.

~/~\~

"How do you know this will work?" Rowena questioned as Sam pulled out a knife.

"I don't," Sam admitted as he cut his wrist with the knife and let the blood drip into a bowl, causing the tumblers in the box to turn.

"It's working." Rowena breathed out.

~/~\~

_"It's as good a place as any to call it a day, huh?" Angela mused as she looked around._

~/~\~

"Slow down," Rowena commanded.

"Right, okay." Sam nodded.

Suddenly, the tumblers in the Werther box stopped, making Sam frowned deeply.

"No, no, no." he shook his head.

"It wants more, Sam. It wants it all." Rowena replied.

"The codex… path to the cure. It's in there." Sam muttered. "If it wants more, it'll get more."

Sam cut his other wrist with the knife, letting the blood drip into the bowl. The tumblers in the Werther box began to turn again.

~/~\~

_"I'd do it. If I really had to, I would." Angela admitted. "But my dad, my real dad, he would never let me."_

_"We already covered that, pumpkin," Robert replied. "It's not me."_

_"You know what else won't let me? This thing on my arm." She looked down at the mark. "For better or worse, the mark… it wants me alive." She added before stabbing her father with the knife she held. "Thanks, dad, but no thanks."_

_Robert disappeared and Angela turned around, back in Suzie's house._

~/~\~

Sam was about ready to pass out from losing so much blood, Rowena encouraging him to keep going.

"It's opening, Sammy! It's nearly there." She urged.

"Sam!" Angela ran down the stairs. "Hey! Hey, hey. Sammy, whatever you're seeing, it's—it's a trick. Okay? It's not real!"

"Angie?" Sam asked weakly.

"Yeah, baby," Angela replied as Sam almost collapsed. "Hey, no." she slapped him. "No. Hey! Hey!"

"Get away from me!" Sam yelled, raising his knife.

Angela took the knife out of Sam's hand immediately.

"No, don't!" Sam exclaimed. "Don't! It's the only way. It needs legacy blood. Enough to take a life."

Angela began wrapping Sam's wounds. "Yeah, well… I'm technically a legacy. And it doesn't have to come from just one, does it? It needs more blood, it can have mine."

Angela took the knife and cut her wrist. She let her blood drip into the bowl and the tumblers turned and the box opened.

"Oh, well." Rowena shrugged as she turned into green smoke and disappeared.

Angela turned the knob and opened the box, removing the codex.

~/~\~

Sam sat in the car reading the codex. Angela walked toward the car with a sledgehammer, which she put in the trunk.

"Overkill, don't you think?" Sam asked as Angela got in the car. "I mean, we broke the spell. The box is just a box."

"Well, now it's scrap metal." Angela shrugged. "You okay, baby?"

"Yeah, I'm great," Sam replied.

"You road ready?" she raised her brows.

"I'll be fine," Sam assured.

"That says something, doesn't it?" Angela mused. "Werther splits us up in there. Within an hour, we're both on the brink of death. Sorry about yesterday, going rogue on you like that."

"You know what, Angie? Don't apologize." Sam replied. "I… I think that makes us even."

"We're stronger. As a family. And I should've known that." Angela murmured.

"Mm." Sam nodded, kissing her temple.

"Now, what could possibly be so valuable, that it takes a spell that nasty to protect it, huh?" Angela questioned.

"No idea." Sam sighed heavily. "But whatever it is, we'll keep it safe."

~/~\~

"Well, hello, cowboy," Rowena greeted as Sam and Dean entered. "I see you brought the other one. And oh, you've got it!" she exclaimed as she began to turn the pages of the codex.

"Is it enough?" Sam asked.

"To what?" Rowena replied.

"To translate the book?" Sam reminded. "To find a cure for the mark."

"Oh, aye." Rowena nodded.

"Good." Dean pursed his lips as he put shackles on Rowena.

"What in the hell is this?" she turned to glare at Sam.

"Insurance." Sam shrugged. "Comfortable?"

"We had an agreement, giant." Rowena seethed.

"The agreement stands," Sam assured. "You will decrypt 'The Book of the Damned' and find us a cure for Angie. And that is all you will get from the book. I'll burn that book, and then I'll kill Crowley. But until then…"

"I'm your slave?" Rowena scoffed. "You can't—you can't just leave me here."

"You want out?" Dean raised his brows. "Hurry up. Get to work."

"Ugh! You big bampot!" Rowena yelled as the brothers left. "Ugh!"


	39. Angel Heart Part 1

_Tulsa, Oklahoma_

The Impala came around the corner and pulled up in front of the hospital, where Castiel stood. Sam, Dean, and Angela got out of the car. Grace was currently back at the bunker with Charlie.

"Thanks for coming," Castiel said as the hunters approached.

"Yeah, of course." Sam nodded.

"Cas, look, we're always glad to help, but Claire and I aren't exactly on the best of terms," Angela added. "I mean, should I even be here?"

"I need help from all of you," Castiel explained. "The three of you were troubled teens. You speak her language."

"Alright," Sam smirked a bit. "How is she?"

"Well, I-I haven't gone in yet," Castiel admitted. "I was waiting for backup."

"B-backup?" Dean scoffed.

"Mm. Huh." Sam muttered.

"Let's do this." Angela clapped her hands together.

~/~\~

Claire was in the hospital and turned her head as Castiel appeared in the doorway and walked into the room with Sam, Dean, and Angela behind him.

"What are you doing here? And why the hell did you bring her?" Clair asked disdainfully.

"Awesome," Angela muttered sarcastically.

"Um, the… the police found my number in your emergency contact list," Castiel replied.

Sam and Angela looked around uncomfortably as Dean just leaned on a nearby cabinet.

"Yeah, well…" Clair trailed off. "That was a mistake. You can go now."

"Claire… Why were you at a bar?" Castiel asked gently.

"I wasn't." Claire lied.

"Claire," Sam started as he approached the bed. "What were you doing in an alley outside of a bar?"

"Wrong place, wrong time. Story of my life." Claire shrugged.

"Look, we're not leaving until you tell us what the hell really happened," Dean replied firmly. "So, if you want us gone… Talk."

Claire looked over toward Castiel. "I was looking for my mom. I wanna find my mom and tell her she ruined my life."

"Your mom didn't—

"She left me, and so did my dad." Claire interrupted the angel. "But Jimmy's gone, right? Has it easy up in Heaven. So… Mom's the only one left I can tell off."

"When's the last anybody heard from your mom?" Sam asked curiously.

"Um…" Claire thought for a moment. "When I was living with my grandmother, she used to send me postcards." She reached over to a table and took a package out of her bag. "This is the last one." She pulled out a postcard and handed it to Sam. "I got it just before my grandma died. Two years ago. Nobody's heard from her since. It was sent from a motel here in town. That's where I've been crashing. I was at Susie's bar looking for a loser named Ronnie Cartwright. Mom's diary said she was gonna meet him around the time she disappeared. Before he knocked me down, he remembered her name. He knows something."

"Why was Amelia looking for him?" Castiel's brows furrowed.

"She went looking for miracles. She went looking for you." Claire replied.

~/~\~

Sam, Angela, Dean, and Castiel stood in the hallway, outside of Claire's room.

"This is all my fault." Castiel shook his head.

"You know, Cas, say it is. What can you do about it?" Sam asked.

"Find Amelia," Castiel answered.

"She did disappear trying to hunt down an angel." Angela shrugged. "Might be a case."

"Yeah, but we don't know that," Dean replied.

"Close enough. Come on, give me something to punch already." Angela muttered, earning concerned looks from the brothers and Castiel. "I'm kidding." Angela rolled her eyes. "I'm fine. I'm just… I'm _fine_. Why don't we go back to the bar, see if we can track down this Ronnie guy, huh?"

"Yeah." Sam agreed. "We should let Claire know where we're going first."

"Perfect," Angela replied before walking away.

~/~\~

Angela stood in Claire's now empty room, holding a hospital gown. Sam, Dean, and Castiel walked into the room.

"Hey." Sam and Dean greeted.

"Dammit." Angela tossed the gown onto a chair. "Well… she either went looking for Ronnie again or, uh…"

"Yeah," Sam held up the postcard from the motel. "Or… she went to go grab her stuff before taking off again."

"Well, she's got a concussion." Dean looked at her file. "Maybe that'll slow her down."

"Alright. Dean, let's head to the motel." Sam suggested. "Angie and Cas, check out the bar."

~/~\~

Castiel and Angela were in a car that she managed to hotwire, speeding down the nighttime road.

"Hey, Cas, listen," Angela started as she drove. "What you're doing for Claire and helping her find her mom… It's good. It's a good thing."

"But?" Castiel raised his brows questioningly.

"Well, where does it end?" Angela asked. "I'm not trying to be a bitch, but truth is, you're not her dad. In fact, you're not anything to her except a-a constant reminder of someone that's gone."

"No, I'm… Responsible for everything that's happened to her." Castiel stressed.

"Look, I'm just saying," Angela sighed. "She's been surviving on her own for quite a while now, and… and then partly because she doesn't have anybody to answer to. You know, there's… There's nobody holding her back."

"We just found her in a hospital." Castiel reminded. "You telling me that she'd be better off on her own?"

"I'm saying she might be stronger on her own," Angela replied.

~/~\~

Angela and Castiel were standing at the bar, talking to the bartender. After a few minutes of talking, they turned away from the bar and walked over to Ronnie, who was sitting at a booth with a beer. Ronnie noticed them approached and attempted to run. Angela grabbed him and slid into the booth next to him.

"Yeah! What's the rush, huh?" Angela asked. "Heading out to beat down another teenager?"

"That bitch attacked me!" Ronnie snapped as Castiel sat across the table from him.

Angela grabbed Ronnie by his jacket and slammed his head against the table. Castiel looked worriedly around the bar. Ronnie picked his head up off of the table, groaning in pain.

"Poor choice of words, man." Angela glared icily. "Now… Amelia Novak. Where is she?" she asked, earning no response. "No?" she hummed, slamming Ronnie's head against the table again.

"Angela," Castiel warned.

"Listen, Ronnie, what do you say, huh?" Angela raised her brows as he picked his head up again. "We could do this all day, unless you wanna tell me everything you know about Amelia."

"Okay. Okay." Ronnie conceded.

Angela pulled her hands off of Ronnie in an exaggerated manner.

"I met Amelia." Ronnie continued. "But she was the last one, I swear."

"Last one of what?" Castiel questioned.

"I worked for a faith healer," Ronnie answered, earning skeptical looks from Angela and Castiel. "No, he was the real deal! Hey, I was blind. He healed me."

"Give us a name," Angela demanded, slamming her hand on the table when Ronnie didn't respond. "Now!"

"Peter Holloway," Ronnie replied quickly.

"Okay." Angela nodded.

"Yeah, after he gave me my sight back, I… Well, he made me work for him as… payment." Ronnie explained. "I-I-I recruited candidates. Yeah, he had… A specific type. Young, but, uh… Lost. Wouldn't be missed."

"Amelia was one of these 'candidates?'" Castiel asked.

"Some people, he healed. But others, he, uh… Oh, man." Ronnie shook his head. "Look, I saw him one night. It looked like he was, uh… I don't know… I don't know how to describe it, but he was… He tied one of 'em up and… He… he… he was, uh… cutting on them. Look, after that, I was done. Okay? I quit." He explained. "I haven't heard from Holloway since."

~/~\~

Angela and Castiel got in the car outside the bar. As the car pulled away, Ronnie came out into the street and pulled out his cell phone.

~/~\~

Claire opened the door to her motel room and frowned when she saw Sam and Dean sitting in the two chairs.

"Took you long enough," Dean commented.

"How did you…" she frowned.

Sam held up the postcard and shook it a bit. "Also, you checked in under the name 'Claire Novak.' A little pro-tip? Use an alias."

"Okay." She nodded as she opened a closet and started to pull out some clothes.

"Claire, we just wanna help." Dean sighed heavily.

"I didn't ask for your help." Claire snapped.

She walked past Sam and Dean, and they turned her way. Sam looked over at a wall that was covered with maps, photos, and papers.

"You know, this is good," Sam commented. "Dean and I were impressed. How did you get the information that…"

Claire tossed a book to Sam. "It's mostly empty promises and regret, but… There were enough breadcrumbs to get me here."

Sam looked through the book as Claire packed her bags.

"How did you get your mom's diary?" Dean questioned.

"The motel manager sent mom's stuff to her last known address after she disappeared," Claire answered. "It bounced around, eventually found its way to me at one of the foster homes."

"You came all this way just to tell her off?" Sam quirked a brow.

"You always get along with your mom?" Claire retorted.

"Never got the chance to find out," Sam replied. "Our mom died when I was a baby."

"I'm…" Claire frowned deeply. "I'm sorry. I didn't…"

"Oh, no, it's okay. We got to know her later in life." Dean replied.

"And, yeah, I suppose we got along okay," Sam added.

"What?" Claire's brows furrowed in confusion.

"In this line of work, death isn't always goodbye," Dean explained.

"This is different." Claire walked across the room to get another bag. "My mom left me."

"Claire, I'll be home soon. We'll be home soon." Sam read from the journal. "Doesn't sound like somebody who wanted to abandon you."

"Did you check her credit cards?" Dean asked.

"They wouldn't send me her records," Claire replied.

"Okay, I know you need to be somewhere far away from all of us, but let me go get my laptop," Sam explained. "We'll teach you how to hack into her credit card records."

"It'll help you get a lead on your mom," Dean assured.

"Show me, but then I'm gone," Claire replied firmly.

~/~\~

"There we go," Sam smirked.

"Seriously?" Claire stared at the screen. "It's that easy?"

"Yes." Sam nodded. "We can also show you how to set up fake credit cards. It will make life on the road a lot easier."

"You guys are credit card scammers, too?" Claire frowned.

"Yeah. Hunting monsters doesn't exactly pay the bills." Dean scoffed.

"Then why do you do it?" Claire tilted her head.

"To help people, make a difference," Sam replied.

"That's it?" she asked.

"That's not enough?" Sam retorted.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Claire opened the door to reveal Castiel standing there.

"Are you alright?" he asked concernedly.

Claire groaned, clearly frustrated. "Yeah, I will be when nobody ever asks me that again."

"You guys find Ronnie?" Sam asked.

Angela came up behind Castiel and they both entered the room.

"Yeah." She nodded. "Yeah, he gave up a name… Peter Holloway. Said he was a faith healer."

Claire sat on the bed and smirked. Angela sat next to Sam and Dean while Castiel looked on.

"So… What?" Dean asked. "You thinking angel?"

"Maybe," Angela muttered. "But it sounded like he has healed some people, but he may have fed off others."

"Yeah, that's weird." Sam agreed, wrapping an arm around Angela's shoulders. "Alright, let's look into this Peter Holloway guy."

Castiel walked over to Clair with a brightly covered gift back in his hand. Angela was at the table, covering her eyes with her hand.

"Claire, um… Happy birthday." Castiel handed her the gift bag.

"Um…" Claire pulled a plush cat out of the bag.

"I got it at the Hot Topical." Castiel smiled proudly.

"Right," Claire replied. "Um… Thanks, I guess."

Claire put the plushie back in the bag and tossed it on the bed behind her.

"Whoa," Sam said suddenly. "Just got an alert from local P.D. Ronnie's body was just found outside of Susie's bar."

"You were just supposed to talk to Ronnie!" Claire exclaimed. "What did you do to him?"

"I didn't lay a hand on him," Angela replied defensively.

"Angela, that isn't exactly true." Castiel reprimanded.

Sam looked questioningly at his wife, who shrugged.

"I didn't kill the guy." She muttered as she shook Sam's arm off of her and stood up. "Alright, I'm gonna get suited up and head back over there."

"I'm coming with you," Castiel replied.

"I'm coming with you, too." Claire chimed in.

"You guys wanna get in on this?" Angela asked Sam and Dean.

"No, w-we should probably stay here and research Holloway," Sam replied.

"Right." Angela huffed, striding out the door with Claire on her heels.

Sam looked to see that Angela was out of the room before he and Dean turned to Castiel.

"Hey, Cas? What happened at the bar?" Sam asked worriedly.

"Angela snapped." Castiel sighed. "She's getting worse."

Castiel left the hotel room, leaving behind a very worried Sam and Dean.

~/~\~

Angela, in her FBI apparel, Castiel, and Claire approached the scene of the crime and the female police officer.

"Officer?" Angela asked. "Agents Clapton and Page."

"And your little friend?" the officer eyed Claire.

"Oh. Uh… yeah. It's 'bring your daughter to work' day at the Bureau." Angela lied smoothly. "Uh, vic was a, uh, person of interest in a missing persons case. What do you got?"

"Stab wound. Clean through." The officer explained as they moved closer to the body. "No sign of robbery. Wallet and everything was still on his person."

"What are the red marks there on the point of entry?" Angela questioned.

"Burn marks, maybe." The officer suggested. "I don't know."

Claire grimaced and turned her head away from Ronnie's body.

"We pulled his cell phone records." The officer continued. "He made two calls to the same number prior to the attacked. Tried the number, but the line's dead now. Probably a burner."

"Mm." Angela hummed as the officer's phone started ringing.

"Will you excuse me?" she asked, walking away to answer the call.

"Yeah." Angela nodded.

"The wound looks like an angel blade, but the point of entry is wider," Castiel noted. "Can't explain those marks."

The other officers covered Ronnie's body with a blanket as Claire looked on.

"Best birthday ever." She said sarcastically.

"Okay, alright, come here." Angela led Castiel and Claire away from the scene.

~/~\~

Sam was writing something on a note pad when Angela, Castiel, and Claire entered the room.

"Hey," Sam greeted. "We, uh, got a lead on Peter Holloway."

"Oh, good." Angela sat next to Sam. "Because he's probably about to split town. Ronnie made a few phone calls before he got shish kebabbed."

"You think to give Holloway a heads up?" Dean asked.

"If he did, that's probably what got him killed," Angela muttered. "So… we gotta track him down before he bails."

"Great." Sam nodded. "Well, according to county records, Holloway owns a farmhouse about 30 or 40 miles from here, so I, uh, cross-referenced it with Amelia's credit card receipts. The house is right about there, and she's been hitting up Biggerson's and Gas n' Sips all around the area."

"Probably staking the place out," Dean added.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Claire cut in. "Let's go."

"Claire, you are not going out there," Castiel replied sternly.

"She's my mother." Claire glared.

"That house could be empty and it could be a trap," Castiel replied. "It's too dangerous. I can't let anything happen to you."

"Anything else you mean." Claire scoffed.

"Claire, you're not going," Castiel repeated. "You're not either, Angela."

"What?" Angela looked surprised.

"Back at the bar with Ronnie?" Castiel reminded.

"Oh, come on, Cas." Angela rolled her eyes. "He wasn't gonna talk. I just… _helped_ him talk."

"Baby, Cas is right." Sam sighed. "We need to keep the mark in check. And we don't know what's out there. You know, maybe you should… Maybe you should stay here."

"So, you wanna bench me again?" Angela seethed.

"Hmm." Sam sighed.

Angela looked at Dean, then Castiel, and paused for several seconds. "Alright. Fine, I'll stay and babysit. But if anything happens, anything at all."

"Yeah, we'll call you," Castiel assured. "No fighting."

Angela scoffed audibly. "Yeah, tell her that."

"Both of you," Castiel replied sternly.

Sam leaned down and kissed Angela on the lips gently. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Angela replied softly.

"See ya soon, kid." Dean ruffled her hair a bit.

Sam, Dean, and Castiel walked out of the room and Claire smirked at Angela.

~/~\~

Angela, now in her 'hunter attire,' grabbed a beer out of a six-pack on the table. She pulled off the top and tossed it into the hotel sink as she sat down.

"Can I have one?" Claire asked, earning a look from Angela. "Like you never had a beer before you were 21."

"Alright. You know what?" Angela pursed her lips. "If we stay cooped up in this motel room all night long, I'm gonna lose my mind."

"Spoiler alert… you already have." Claire sassed.

Angela looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "I'm so glad my daughter isn't a teenager yet. Let's go."

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Castiel were driving in the Impala down a dark road.

"When this is over, should I… Should I leave Claire alone?" Castiel asked.

"What?" Sam frowned. "No, man. She's family. Well, I mean, she's not exactly family, but she's close enough. I mean, you two have history. Simple as that."

"So, do you think she's better off on her own?"

"Cas, she just turned 18," Dean muttered.

"That was when Sam left for college, wasn't it?" Castiel retorted.

"Yeah, but that's different," Sam replied.

"How, Sam?" Castiel pressed.

"Here's all I know… going it alone, that's no way to live," Sam replied. "You being there for her, even if she thinks she doesn't want you to be there for her, that's good for both of you."

"Maybe, in the end." Castiel nodded.

"In the end." Sam agreed.

~/~\~

Claire and Angela were playing mini-golf. Angela struck a red ball and it rolled down the green, bounced off the wall, and sunk into the hole.

"It's in the hole! It's in the hole!" Angela exclaimed, earning a confused look from Claire. "Bill Murray? _'Caddyshack.'_ It's a classic."

"Never seen it. Not a fan." Claire shrugged.

"That's damn near criminal." Angela shook her head in disappointment.

"You done?" Claire quirked a brow.

"Yeah, I'm done," Angela mumbled.

Claire took the same shot and her ball sunk into the hole as well. Angela turned her head and looked away.

"Did you… did you see that? Did that go in the hole?" Claire asked. "I wasn't watching. Did the ball go in the hole?"

 _"Happy Gilmore._ Well played." Angela nodded.

"Thank you." Claire took a little bow before walking off.

"Yep. Did that go in? Did that go in?" Angela mocked quietly.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Castiel were in the Impala, looking out the front windshield at something.

"It looks abandoned," Castiel commented as they got out of the car.

"Only one way to find out," Dean muttered.

~/~\~

Claire took another swing at the ball as Angela looked on.

"This is what you guys do?" Claire asked. "Stay at cheap motels, steal credit cards… Play mini-golf?"

"Actually, we haven't played mini-golf in a while," Angela replied. "But, uh… Yeah. That about sums it up."

~/~\~

"Cas, you take the barn," Dean said as he loaded his gun. "Sammy and I will take the house."

Dean closed the trunk to the Impala and the three of them walked toward the barn.

~/~\~

"We help people," Angela explained as she swung at the ball. "At least, we try to."

"Like, uh, Castiel helped my dad?" Claire asked as they walked toward the next hole.

"Claire, what happened to your dad… I'm sorry, okay? I really am. But, uh, there's something you gotta know." Angela replied sincerely. "Your dad's sacrifice was not meaningless. Yeah, he gave up his body, his… his vessel. And because he did that, Cas… Cas was able to save the world. The world." Angela explained. "Your father's a hero. He did not die in vain."

Claire sighed heavily and walked past Angela to line up the next hole. She swung and the ball went straight into the hole.

"Last hole."

"Already?" Angela frowned.

"Yeah." Claire walked toward the hole. "See? They take your ball on the last one. Drop it in the bottom like so."

Claire turned her golf club upside down and dropped it into the hole. The club fell into the hole until the club end got stuck. Angela stared intently at the hole and walked slowly toward it. She bent down and grabbed the club end.

"You okay? You're not stroking out, are you?" Claire questioned.

"The red marks." Angela looked up at Claire.

"What red marks?" Claire's brows furrowed.

Angela stood up, handing the club to Claire. "Claire, you're a genius. Come on, let's go."

"What?" Claire quickly followed Angela. "Wait. Why am I a genius?"

~/~\~

Angela and Claire were sitting at the table in the motel room.

"So this is hunting? Homework?" Claire asked as she looked through a book.

"Cas said Ronnie's wound looked like an angel blade," Angela explained as she typed on the keyboard. "But the red marks didn't match up with an angel blade. But if it was an angel sword that would explain the size of the wound and the red marks. 'Cause a sword would have a hilt on it, which could cause the… the marks."

"You got all that from a putter?" Claire quirked a brow.

~/~\~

Sam and Dean walked into the kitchen of the abandoned house. It was dark and the brothers both had their guns drawn, on high alert for any threat. Sam pulled an angel blade out of his coat as they continued to search.

~/~\~

Claire stopped on a colored picture of an angel with a long blade. "Is… is this what you mean?"

"Grigori." Angela read from the page.

~/~\~

Sam and Dean walked through the house with their guns still drawn, walking away from the kitchen. Holloway appeared in the shadows of the open doorway.

~/~\~

"The watcher angels." Angela read.

"So, are they good or bad?" Claire asked.

"Well, some of the lore says that they, uh, they help people," Angela started. "And some says that they prey on people. So… keep digging."


	40. Angel Heart Part 2

Sam and Dean were walking through the house, weapons at the ready. Sam's phone started vibrating and he pulled it out of his pocket to see Angela's name on the screen. He sighed and then the brothers heard a creak from behind them. Before they even turned around, Holloway struck them with some sort of club, knocking them unconscious.

~/~\~

Angela sighed, obviously frustrated as she pocketed her phone. "Cas isn't answering his phone either." She explained as she grabbed her duffel and walked across the room.

"I don't understand," Claire frowned. "Grigori angels went rogue? Started feeding on people? Why?"

Angela checked her gun and put it in her waistband. "Don't know, don't care. I'm heading over to Holloway's to end that son of a bitch."

"Yeah, let me guess," Claire rolled her eyes dramatically. "You want me to stay here?"

Angela turned and considered Claire for a few moments. She turned to her duffel, pulled out a revolver, and handed it to Claire.

"Happy birthday. Don't shoot me." Angela replied. "Let's go."

~/~\~

Sam and Dean were each handcuffed to their chairs, their heads hanging down before regaining consciousness.

"Sammy?" Dean asked quietly. "You okay?"

Sam nodded and looked around the kitchen as he struggled with the handcuffs. Holloway walked into the room, eyeing the hunters.

"You must be Holloway," Sam noted.

"For the last 50 years or so, yes," Holloway replied as he walked over to the brothers. "Before that, I was a Jenkins. And before that, a Miller. My real name is Tamiel."

Sam stealthily started pulling a nail out of the wooden chair with his thumbs.

"I'm a Grigori." Holloway continued. "A watcher angel."

"Since when do angels feed on humans?" Dean questioned.

"Since the dawn of man," Holloway answered.

"What are you talking about?" Sam's brows furrowed.

"Your souls…" Holloway started as he walked behind Sam, causing him to hide the nail in his hands. "Are little slices of heaven that are, if properly kept, delicious meals that can last for years, decades even."

"You're not an angel. You're a monster." Sam retorted.

Holloway laughed and reached out to lightly punch Sam on the shoulder. "Ah. I prefer to think of myself as a gourmand. I make heaven a place on earth. Keeps me alive and hidden from the rest of the failures that call themselves angels."

"Oh, they are failures?" Sam asked as he used the nail to open the handcuffs. "Yeah, 'cause you're living so large in your own life."

Holloway turned around quickly and drew his sword on Sam so that it was pointed directly at Sam's face.

"Oh, you son of a bitch," Dean growled, struggling against the handcuffs.

"There were _hundreds_ of us, but now…" Holloway ignored Dean and raised the sword up to show an inscription on the blade. "A brotherhood of perfectly crafted, engineered beings sent to protect you pathetic, bottom-feeding disasters."

~/~\~

Angela and Claire walked outside the house and barn, guns drawn.

"Alright, let's stick together," Angela whispered. "First the barn, then the house. If you have to shoot, aim for the chest. It won't drop an angel, but it'll slow him down. Got it?"

"Yeah." Claire nodded.

~/~\~

Angela and Claire walked through the barn on the same path as Castiel. They came to a corner and Angela turned quickly, gun drawn and aimed at Castiel, who had come out of the room with Amelia and the bodies. Castiel put a hand out defensively.

"Angela." Castiel breathed out.

Claire ran past Castiel and into the room, stopping when she saw Amelia.

"Claire?" Amelia asked tearfully. "I'm so sorry."

Claire immediately ran to her mother and hugged her tightly.

"Baby, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry!" Amelia sobbed.

"Okay. Okay." Claire knelt down as Amelia sat back on the cot.

"Let's go find Sam and Dean," Angela told Castiel before kneeling beside Claire. "Claire, hey. Listen to me. Stay here, okay? Do not move."

"Okay." Claire nodded, tears staining her face. "Thank you. Thank you, both."

Angela nodded and left the room with Castiel.

~/~\~

The two chairs that Sam and Dean had been in were overturned, open handcuffs hanging from them. On the other side of the room, Angela walked in, gun drawn, and looked around. Castiel came in behind her. Angela continued walking and stopped when she noticed the chairs.

"Cas."

Suddenly, something creaked in the other room, and Angela and Castiel walked toward it. As Angela turned the corner into the room, Sam and Dean came out, clubs raised and ready to swing. Angela gasped, paused, and rolled her eyes.

"Good to see you, too, baby." Angela sassed. "What the hell happened?"

"Listen, Holloway is a…" Dean trailed off.

"Grigori." He and Angela said in unison.

"Grigori?" Castiel frowned deeply.

"Yes." Sam nodded.

"No." Castiel shook his head. "They were some of the first angels on earth. It was an elite unit that went bad. But they're… they're extinct. They were destroyed."

"Well, no, some survived." Dean corrected. "And they've been hunting humans, making them create heavens in their minds and feeding off them."

"Where is this abomination?" Castiel demanded.

"I don't know." Sam shook his head. "We've looked everywhere. He must've left."

Angela looked at Castiel and sprinted out of the room. Castiel, Sam, and Dean followed.

~/~\~

Claire held Amelia in her arms as blood-stained her shirt and dripped out of her mouth. Holloway looked on with disdain and raised his sword.

"No!" Castiel yelled as he ran in and knocked Holloway to the ground.

Castiel pulled out his angel blade and they struggled on the ground. Holloway knocked Castiel to the side and stood up as Sam and Dean ran in and grabbed him from behind, holding him there. Angela ran in and punched Holloway as the brothers held him. Eventually, Angela and Castiel were down and the brothers were thrown against the wall. Holloway raised his sword, laughed deeply, and prepared to stab Castiel. However, before he could inflict the blow, a blade pierced his chest from behind. White light emanated from the wound and his eyes as he screamed. He fell forward to reveal Claire standing behind him. She immediately dropped the blade and ran over to Amelia.

"Mom?" Claire cried as she held Amelia in her arms. "Mommy, please stay with me, okay? Mom? Mom. Mom. Mom." She sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Mom, I'm sorry."

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Claire leaned against the trunk of the Impala.

"So, what? This is some sort of halfway house for wayward girls?" Claire questioned.

"No. Not at all." Sam shook his head.

"Jody Mills is good people," Dean added sincerely. "And she'll give you a place to crash until you get back on your feet. It's not forever, right?"

~/~\~

Angela and Castiel stood a few feet away from the brothers and Claire. And looked over her shoulder towards them and then back to Castiel.

"What are you gonna do about Claire?" Angela asked curiously.

"It's not up to me," Castiel replied.

~/~\~

"You said sometimes death isn't always goodbye, right?" Claire asked Sam. "So, goodbyes aren't always forever."

"Right." Sam nodded. "Take care of yourself, Claire."

"See ya around, kid," Dean added before he and Sam walked away.

Angela came over to the Impala and took a wrapped package out of the front seat and handed it to Claire.

"I felt bad about taking the gun back, so…" Angela trailed off.

Claire opened the package and found a DVD of _'Caddy Shack.'_ "Thanks." she replied before she found a large book under the DVD titled _'The Enochian Myth.'_ "But I don't think I'm interested in any more homework."

"Hm." Angela knelt down, opened Claire's duffel, and pulled the angel sword out. "Do you honestly think I didn't see you take this? Keep the book, Claire." She added as she stood back up. "You know, you already got your revenge. You go down this path… our path…" she nodded toward the brothers. "It's not a long life."

"I don't know," Claire smirked. "You seem pretty old."

"Thanks." Angela laughed.

Claire paused for a moment before taking a deep breath. "Listen… What I did, setting you up, um… I'm sorry. I just… I shouldn't…"

"Forget it. It's in the past." Angela replied gently.

"Are you gonna be okay?" Claire's brows furrowed.

"Me?" Angela pursed her lips. "I don't know. But I _will_ keep fighting. I'll keep swinging until I got nothing left."

"Will you keep an eye on him?" Claire's eyes drifted to Castiel. "He's been through enough."

"So have you," Angela replied softly. "Claire, do your homework before you do anything stupid, okay? And we're here if you need us, any time." She added as a cab pulled up. "I'll get you loaded up."

"Um, Claire." Castiel walked over to the teenager. "If you, um, if you… need anything, ever, I'm… I'm… just wanted you to know that."

Claire reached forward and hugged Castiel tightly, surprising the angel. After a few moments, she pulled away and walked over to the cab.

"Someone just tell me she's gonna be okay," Castiel whispered as the cab pulled away.

"Yeah, Cas. Of course, she'll be okay." Dean assured. "So will you."


	41. Dark Dynasty Part 1

Sam and Dean were down in the basement where Rowena was stashed.

"Nothing?" Sam asked angrily. "You've got _nothing?!_ Rowena, it's been days! You said the codex would crack the code."

"I'm an artist, Samuel. These things cannot be rushed." Rowena explained. "Perhaps if I weren't chained up… I'm really not at full strength."

"Yeah, and you _won't_ be at full strength." Dean retorted. "No witchcraft. Look, we need the cure for Angie from the book, and if you're stalling…"

"Why on earth would I stall?!" Rowena scoffed. "I want the mark off of Angela for my own protection! I want out of these chains and out of this pit, and I want you to hold up your end of the deal and kill Crowley. You do remember the deal, do you not, Samuel?"

"Believe me," Sam glared icily at the witch. "I have no issue killing Crowley!"

"The problem is, the language Nadya used in the codex is damn near indecipherable," Rowena explained. "She was a gifted witch but a selfish pig. Once she cracked a code, she then coded its secrets for herself."

"So…" Dean's brows furrowed slightly. "Now we need to break a code to… break a code?"

"Quick, aren't you?" Rowena sassed.

"Listen, Angie gets worse every day," Sam stressed. "Get this done."

"You won't forget the grocery shopping, will you?" Rowena asked.

"No." Sam rolled his eyes.

~/~\~

_Lebanon, Kansas_

Sam and Dean walked down the steps into the bunker. Angela sat at one of the tables in the library with Grace on her lap, looking up the Styne family on the computer. She looked up when she heard the brothers walk in.

"Hey, kiddo." Dean greeted.

"Hey, Dean," Angela replied before looking at Sam. "Hi, baby. You okay?"

Sam's brows furrowed. "I'm fine, Angie. Why?"

"You haven't been coming to bed recently." Angela shrugged.

"I do that," Sam replied, acting nonchalant.

"You actually don't," Angela replied. "Plus, you and Dean have been sneaking off a lot lately. Don't think I haven't noticed."

"Daddy!" Grace raised her arms, wanting to be picked up.

"Angie, you and I don't always do the exact same thing at the exact same time." Sam shrugged as he took Grace off of Angela's lap. "Remember when you went off and snuffed that vampire nest by yourself?"

"Have you guys been snuffing vampire nests?" Angela quirked a brow.

"No, I-I…" Sam stammered as he noticed the computer screen. "What is that? What are you doing?"

"So, those goons that were after the book, the, uh, the Stynes," Angela started as Dean sat next to her. "Well, the one that we killed said that he had a big family. So, if there's more out there, I figure we should probably get to know as much as we can about them."

"And?" Dean questioned.

"Well, that's pretty much what we do know, that they screwed with the financial markets, they helped Hitler get started, along with god knows what else… probably disco," Angela replied. "But you go back to the 1800s, and the trail goes dead. There's nothing in the research, there's nothing online. It's like the family just popped up one day."

"Families don't usually do that." Sam frowned.

"No, they do not." Angela agreed. "Hasn't been a total waste of time, though. I think I caught us a case. There's a mention online of a murder in Omaha. Victim's eyes were cut out. Janitor runs in just as the killer jumps out the window."

"That's it?" Dean asked skeptically.

"Well, the window was on the third story," Angela added. "Look, I'm just trying to stay busy here, okay? Unless you guys have bigger fish to try."

"No, we're—we're sold. We're in, kid." Dean assured.

"Alright, well, I'm gonna hit it." Angela stood up and took Grace from Sam. "You guys should, too. We'll leave first thing in the a.m."

~/~\~

A car pulled up to a rest stop in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere. Charlie sat at a picnic table.

"Hey, Charlie." Sam greeted as he and Dean walked over.

"Hey," Charlie replied. "It is you. Uh, in a… beat-up, prehistoric compact. But why are we meeting here? I could've come to the Death Star."

"No, no," Dean shook his head. "This is, uh… this is better, actually. We're not gonna be working in the bunker, so…"

"Uh-huh." Charlie narrowed her eyes skeptically. "What is this about, again? You guys were kind of… vague."

"Okay," Sam sighed deeply. "So, here's the thing… Angie is not getting any better. I feel like if we don't get the mark off her arms, it's gonna eat her up."

"I get it, but what are we gonna do about it?" Charlie questioned.

"We got ahold of a codex which is sort of a-a collection of supernatural code-breaking tools, and it should help crack The Book of the Damned," Dean explained.

"That would be awesome if the book, you know, actually existed," Charlie replied.

"Sammy, you wanna tell her?" Dean raised his brows.

"It… it does," Sam admitted. "Uh, I, um… I swapped it out right before it looked like I burned it."

"Okay. Well, Angie wanted it burned, so is she pissed?" Charlie asked, earning guilty looks from the brothers. "Of course. She doesn't know. Geez! The three of you."

"Charlie, she's not herself. She's not." Sam stressed. "She would try and stop us. She's given up. Look, I called in an expert to… to use the codex, but it turns out it's sort of… encoded also, so Dean and I thought you might help… move things along faster."

"Behind Angie's back. After Angie told us the stupid book would kick our asses if we mess with it." Charlie retorted. "I… is there any part of this that _doesn't_ reek?"

"Did we mention that you'll be working with one of the most dangerous witches in the world?" Dean added.

"I don't know, guys." Charlie shook her head.

"As far as we can tell, this is… our only shot at saving Angie," Sam replied earnestly. "If we don't take it… she's gone."

~/~\~

"I thought I was clear," Rowena glared at Sam and Dean. "I requested more time, not an assistant."

"And I thought we were clear, Rowena," Sam retorted. "Charlie is _not_ your assistant. You're hers."

"And you studied your craft where?" Rowena questioned Charlie.

"Mostly a joint called Mas Java." She answered. "It has excellent Wi-Fi."

"I have not heard of this institution, and I know all of the great global centers of witchcraft," Rowena replied.

"Makes sense, 'cause I'm not a witch. I'm a nerd. And I know all the great centers of nerdom." Charlie smirked.

"Rowena, are you done marking your turf?" Dean rolled his eyes. "Listen, Charlie has tech chops that'll speed up cracking Nadya's codex."

"You will spot the ancient curses and spells, and that'll put this whole mess in context," Sam added as Castiel walked in.

"Cas," Charlie's brows furrowed. "Are you in on this, too?"

"Hell's bells." Rowena gasped. "More distractions? What are you? Witch or nerd?"

"Angel," Castiel replied bluntly.

"Beg pardon?" Rowena's eyes widened.

"Castiel has, uh, powers… spiritual muscle that'll help safeguard the work," Dean explained.

"Safeguard it from what?" Rowena demanded.

"You," Sam answered. "Dean and I can't be here full time to referee."

"Whoa, whoa. And I can?" Castiel raised his brows.

"Yes. Please. Please do this for us." Sam pleaded.

Castiel sighed heavily and nodded. "Well, what are the rules? If I'm gonna referee, I should at least know them."

"Quite literal, aren't you?" Rowena chuckled. "Does he know that the first rule is don't tell Angela what we're doing?"

"Wait… Angela doesn't know?" Castiel asked Sam and Dean. "This _never_ ends well, you both know that."

"That's exactly what I said." Charlie agreed.

"Okay, everyone take a breath," Sam commanded. "Look, we're up against it, okay? And we've all been up against it before, and we know there are times when every choice sucks. Now, uh… lying to Angie… is the choice that sucks the least. We have to make this work. Please."

"For Angie." Dean nodded.

"Okay, yeah." Charlie conceded. "For Angie."

"Cas?" Sam asked.

"Okay." The angel relented. "For Angela."

"For Angie." Sam nodded.

"I barely know the woman." Rowena scoffed.

~/~\~

_Omaha, Nebraska_

Sam, Dean, and Angela were walking down the hallway of the building where Eldon killed the college student. Angela held Grace on her hip.

"Police told me no one was allowed in." the office manager said as they walked inside the room. "That didn't mean the FBI, right?"

"And the janitor came in right after the killing?" Angela asked.

"Yeah, he heard screaming… maybe when her eyeballs were scooped out? The janitor saw a man jump out the window, run down the alley." The office manager explained.

"Running?" Sam's brows shot up. "After, uh… falling three stories?"

"That's what it looked like."

"Security footage?" Dean asked.

"Yeah, sure." The office manager nodded. "Uh, but just one of them caught any action. Out in the alley. That's the guy who rented the office."

"That's pretty slick for a three-story drop," Dean noted.

"Wait a second," Sam interjected. "Can you, uh, play it again? Yeah. Keep going. Okay, freeze there. Zoom in."

"Same ink as the Stynes," Angela muttered.

"How long was he renting here?" Sam questioned.

"Uh, just a month." The office manager answered. "But I only saw him a day or so. Some sort of clinical trial using student volunteers. He didn't mention eyeballs."

"Hm. Well, I guess you're gonna ask about that from now on, huh?" Dean mused.

Suddenly, Sam's phone started ringing and he glanced at Dean quickly.

"Excuse me." The younger Winchester muttered.

"Listen, you, uh, remember anything else, give us a call." Angela handed the office manager her card.

Sam waggled his phone at Dean and Angela after silencing it. "Telemarketer."

~/~\~

"So, why would the Stynes be actually up to the eyeballs in murder? What's the connection?" Dean asked as he drove.

"Well, when you take a few Stynes down, more pop up," Angela replied. "I mean, how many are there? All I can say is, I'm glad we burned that damn book. At least they can't get their mitts on that."

"Yeah." Sam swallowed guiltily. "Uh, what about you? How're you doing, baby?"

"Oh, you mean this thing?" Angela looked down at the mark on her arm.

"Yeah." Sam nodded.

"Yeah. You know, some dark thoughts, creepy visions, violent urges." Angela explained. "Same old, same old. I'm happy I got a murder to focus on, though."

~/~\~

_Lebanon, Kansas_

Angela wandered into the bunker library with Grace on her hip and noticed Sam's phone ringing on the table.

"Look Gracie, Uncle Cas is calling." Angela smiled at her daughter, who clapped her hands. "Cas?"

 _"Sam,"_ Castiel replied.

Angela's brows furrowed slightly. "No, it's Angie. What's up?"

 _"Nothing,"_ Castiel replied unconvincingly. _"I'm just, uh… Just staying in touch. Like I do."_

"Something on your mind?" Angela asked curiously.

 _"No,"_ Castiel replied quickly. _"This call is pointless. My ride's here."_

Angela frowned slightly when Castiel hung up and set Sam's phone on the table as Sam and Dean walked in.

"Hey, baby." Sam kissed his wife's cheek.

"Hey, guys," Angela replied.

"The fridge is picked clean. Your turn to fly." Sam noted before noticing his phone. "That's, uh, that's mine, right?"

"Hey, uh, you guys talk to… talk to Cas recently?" Angela questioned the brothers.

"No." Dean lied. "Um, not for a while, kiddo. Why?"

"I was just wondering what he's up to." Angela shrugged. "He's got to be up to something, right?"

"Yeah. Angel stuff or… I don't know." Sam replied.

"Yeah." Angela pursed her lips, clearly suspicious.

"Alright, I vote for pizza." Dean changed the subject.

~/~\~

Angela left the pizza place with a pizza box in her hands. Suddenly, two cars pulled into the alley and blocked her in. One of the Stynes got out of the car and Eldon got out of the second car.

"Alright, hold it right there. Hey, hold it." Angela demanded. "I said, 'hold it.'"

The two Stynes lunged at Angela and she struggled against them. She kneed them both in the groin and gained the upper hand, killing the other Styne before ending up with Eldon at knifepoint.


	42. Dark Dynasty Part 2

_Lebanon, Kansas_

Eldon Styne stood in the middle of the bunker's dungeon, one arm chained to the ceiling. Sam and Dean looked on as Angela interrogated Eldon.

"Here's how this works," she started. "You're strong. I'll give you that. But you can bleed and hurt just like the next guy, so I'm gonna ask questions, you're gonna give answers, or it's gonna get crazy real quick."

"Well, I hope you got some time, darlin'. I'm not the usual breed of cat." Eldon drawled.

"Neither are we." Angela retorted. "Did you kill that girl in Omaha?"

"Yeah," Eldon confirmed before noticing the Mark of Cain on Angela's arm. "So, it's true. You have the Mark of Cain. My sympathies. That's why you wanted the book… to remove it."

"We wanted the book because that's where your power comes from," Sam interjected. "See, our family business is putting guys like you out of business."

"Oh. It's impressive. Let me tell you about my family business." Eldon replied. "You're in way over your heads. The family is vast… spread over the world. And that power that you mentioned doesn't come from the book. It comes from intelligence and will. The book facilitates." He explained. "Stock market dive, recession, 9/11… any of them ring a bell? Arab spring. Didn't even break a sweat."

"Okay. Why?" Dean questioned.

"Well, you got to be in it to win it," Eldon replied obviously. "You see, chaos breeds fear. Fear breeds panic, and panic breeds desperation, and there's always profit to be made from desperation. You make a big enough mess, has to get cleaned up. And we've been in the fix-it business for 1,000 years, and business has never been better."

Suddenly, Dean's phone started ringing, and Castiel's name was on the screen. Dean looked at Sam and nodded to the door.

"I'm gonna check on Gracie," Sam whispered to Angela.

"Now, for the last 80 years, we haven't had the book." Eldon continued as Sam and Dean walked out. "With the book, we're unstoppable."

~/~\~

"Cas, what's going on?" Dean asked as he and Sam moved into the hallway. "Make it quick."

~/~\~

"The girl you killed… why take her eyes?" Angela questioned.

"That whole situation… unfortunate." Eldon pursed his lips. "We normally never leave a body when we harvest."

"When you what?" Angela frowned deeply.

"It's a family specialty… bioengineering," Eldon answered. "Surgical enhancement. And I'm not talking about nose jobs. See?" he pulled up his shirt to reveal a large surgical scar running down his chest. "Two hearts in here. Bunch of extra muscle, especially in the legs. Every man in the family's had a little something. Pretty much what you'd expect though, given the family tree."

"The Stynes?" Angela asked, confused.

"The real family tree," Eldon smirked. "The name was altered out of necessity. You have chanced upon a lineage with a long and proud tradition… And some unwanted notoriety. One of Europe's oldest families. The house of… Frankenstein."

~/~\~

 _"I don't think I'm making myself clear."_ Castiel's voice rang through. _"I've got a… I've got a situation here."_

"There's no way Charlie can go by herself," Dean replied. "Cas, there are dangerous people looking for her."

 _"Fine. I'll go with her."_ Castiel suggested.

"No, you… You can't leave Rowena alone, either." Sam argued.

 _"Nothing is getting done,"_ Castiel stressed.

"Then separate them, Cas. Just do the best you can." Dean replied.

~/~\~

"Frankensteins aren't real. They're made up." Angela scoffed.

"Yeah, of course. And we never had a family acquaintance named Mary Shelley who spent a few nights in castle Frankenstein and stumbled upon our secrets, and forced us to change our name and go underground." Eldon retorted.

"So, why didn't Shelley go public?" Angela asked.

"She wrote a book." Eldon reminded. "Doesn't get more public than that."

"Mm." she hummed.

"But no one believed it to be true, just like no one's gonna believe you," Eldon added.

"Well, as long as Sam, Dean, and I believe, that's enough," Angela assured.

"Yeah, well… as mighty as I'm sure you're little family is, mine is a juggernaut. We're not ordinary men. We're Spartans." Eldon smirked.

"But you aren't immortal." Angela glared.

"What we are is expendable. I go down, there's an army of replacements behind me." Eldon promised.

"And where does this army call home, hm?" Angela tilted her head. "Who's big daddy Frankenstein?"

"Were you here when I mentioned that we're underground? There are secrets." Eldon replied.

"Well, I'm swell at uncovering secrets." Angela shrugged.

"You give me the book, and it's conceivable that we could have that conversation." Eldon bargained.

"The book?" Angela raised her brows.

"Mm." he nodded.

"Honey, we don't have the book." Angela chuckled. "The book was burned."

Eldon smirked, letting out a chuckle of his own. "The book is protected by a spell. It's eternal. It cannot be destroyed."

~/~\~

Sam and Dean were still in the hallway, with Castiel on speaker. They turned around to go back only to be confronted by Angela.

"Look, Cas, we got to get back," Dean stressed. "Handle this. Sammy and I will be there as soon as we can."

"What are you doing? Sam, I thought you were checking on Grace." Angela narrowed her eyes.

"Uh… Something came up." Sam stammered.

"What?" Angela interrogated.

"It's handled, kiddo," Dean assured. "What's going on in there? Get any more out of him?"

"Yeah, an earful… truly." Angela scoffed. "Let me ask you something."

Suddenly, there was a noise of a door slamming from down the hallway. Sam, Dean, and Angela sprinted down the hallway to the dungeon. There was a trail of blood running out of the room. They entered to find Eldon's arm hanging from the chains.

"Oh, my God. He ripped it off." Angela's eyes widened.

~/~\~

Angela came down the stairs after searching for the escaped Eldon.

"Hey, baby." Sam greeted. "Any sign of him?"

"Lots of signs… just no him." She answered. "I followed the blood trail… which, by the way, was like the Mississippi… till it ran dry."

"Meaning what? He bled out?" Sam's brows furrowed.

"Meaning that the trail stopped. Vanished. Nada." Angela replied. "He sure must have thought he was gonna win that one, 'cause, phew, was he gabby. Where's Dean?"

"Um, in the kitchen I think," Sam replied. "I've been going through everything we have on the Frankensteins, and it's just like Eldon said. I mean, 1,000 years of nasty. They made a ton mopping up the black plague. They started the 100-years-war."

"You know baby, I thought, 'wow, there's a lot of them Stynes,'" Angela started as she paced behind Sam's chair. "You know, it's like Alpha-male central. And then I thought… and this is key, Sammy… I thought, 'this is bad, but it would _really_ blow if these guys had the book. At least they don't have the damn book.'"

"Yeah, yeah." Sam swallowed nervously.

"At least the damn book burned." Angela continued. "Right, Sammy? But then, Eldon Frankenstein… he hits me with this little fun fact. He says that the book _can't_ be destroyed. Says that it can't be sliced, diced, shredded, burned, drowned. Cannot be destroyed. Isn't that crazy? Because… I know I saw _something_ burn." She leaned over Sam's shoulder as his phone started buzzing. "Sam, you answer that, so help me…"

Sam hesitated for a minute before grabbing the phone. "Hey."

 _"Sam, she's gone."_ Castiel's voice rang through.

"Who's gone?" Sam frowned.

 _"I've looked everywhere. Charlie is gone."_ Castiel replied.

~/~\~

Sam, and now Dean, having been called in by Angela, sat at the table while Angela raged above them.

"I don't freakin' believe it!" Angela yelled at the brothers. "You two got Charlie involved with this again, and now she's missing?!"

Sam's phone buzzed again and he immediately grabbed it. "Charlie, where are you?"

 _"Um, a... a motel… t-t-the Blackbird."_ She stammered. _"Sam, someone is here. T-t-they think I have the book."_

"If you have the book, give it to them," Sam replied firmly.

"Charlie has the damn Book of the Damned?!" Angela practically roared.

 _"No, I don't have it,"_ Charlie assured. _"I just… I, I just… I have my notes."_

"Then give them your notes, Charlie!" Dean exclaimed. "Give them the code… whatever they want!"

Angela snatched the phone from Sam, glaring icily at him. "Charlie, I don't know what the hell is going on, but you need to listen to me. Give whoever that is whatever they want. You understand? Charlie?!"

 _"I can't do that, Angie."_ Charlie refused.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela were in the Impala with a restless Grace in the backseat. The brothers could practically feel the anger radiating off of Angela.

"So, you guys had the book the whole time?" she questioned.

"Angie…" Dean started.

"Lied right to my face." She shook her head.

"I thought it was our only chance to get you free of the mark, so I grabbed it." Sam defended.

"I made it real clear how I felt." Angela snapped. "You ever consider that?"

"Angie, listen…"

"And then you pulled Dean into it. And Cas… and Charlie!" Angela yelled.

"Charlie loves you, baby. We _all_ love you." Sam stressed.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela pulled up to the motel. Sam picked up Grace and they ran into the hotel room, only to find Charlie in the bathroom, dead in the tub. Sam immediately covered Grace's eyes.

"Oh, God." His voice wavered.

"No…" Dean shook his head, not wanting to believe it.

"Charlie?" Angela's voice cracked.


	43. The Prisoner Part 1

Sam, Dean, and Angela stood in front of the funeral pyre as Charlie's body burned. Sam held Grace in his arms. The 2-year-old watched the fire, sucking her thumb.

"Charlie," Sam broke the silence. "We're gonna miss you. You were the best. And I'm so sorry—

"Shut up." Angela cut Sam off, shocking both him and Dean. "You guys… you got her killed, you don't get to apologize."

"We were trying to help you, kiddo," Dean argued.

"I didn't need help. I told you guys to leave it alone." Angela retorted.

"What were we supposed to do, baby, just… watch you die?" Sam questioned.

"The mark isn't gonna kill me," Angela replied.

"Maybe not, but—when it's done with you, you won't be you anymore. Angie, you're my wife. So, of course, I was gonna fight for you because that's what we do. And listen, I had a shot—

"Yeah, you had a shot." Angela scoffed. "Charlie's _dead._ Nice shot."

"You think I'm—You think I'm _ever_ —gonna forgive myself for that?" Sam questioned.

"You wanna know what I think? I think…" Angela trailed off, stopping herself before she said something she couldn't take back. "This thing with Cas, and the book, ends _now._ Shut it down before somebody else gets hurt. Do you two understand me?"

"And what about you?" Dean asked.

"Oh, I'm gonna find whoever did this," Angela promised. "And I'm gonna rip apart everything and everyone that they ever loved. And then I'm gonna tear out their heart."

"Is that you talking or the mark?" Sam asked quietly.

"Does it matter?" Angela raised her brows as she took Grace and walked away.

~/~\~

Angela walked out of the motel room on her cell phone. "Rudy. I just sent you some security cam footage of a black sedan. I need you to run the plates."

 _"Yeah can do, just give me a sec here."_ Rudy's voice rang through. _"Weird. Uh, the vehicle's registered to Eldon Styne out of Shreveport, Louisiana, but there's no street address. This guy got something to hide?"_

"Yeah, big time," Angela replied. "I'll fill you in later, thanks."

 _"Yeah, sure, but um, isn't that was Sam and Dean are for?"_ Rudy asked, confused.

"They're busy." She replied shortly.

Angela hung up and got in one of the cars she had taken from the bunker's garage.

~/~\~

Sam and Dean walked into Rowena's hideout, Sam carrying Grace.

"Well about bloody time." Rowena scoffed.

"Where's Charlie?" Castiel inquired.

Sam and Dean just looked at the angel with pained expressions on their faces.

"Oh no, god." Castiel breathed out. "I should have gone after her. I—what happened?"

"Us. The Stynes, um… they caught up with her, and uh, Angie's gone after them." Dean explained.

"So, she knows," Castiel replied.

"Yeah," Sam confirmed.

"Well, what now?" Castiel asked.

"We're shutting this down, we promised Angie—

"Er, hello?" Rowena chimed in. "Anyone want to tell me what's going on?"

"No." Sam, Dean, and Castiel said simultaneously.

"What about her?" Castiel nodded to Rowena.

"Guess," Dean muttered.

"I'd be happy to kill her, she just called me a fish," Castiel replied. "What about Angela?"

"Mommy!" Grace exclaimed.

"I know, peanut." Sam comforted. "We'll see mommy soon." He added before looking back at Castiel. "We should be able to track her phone. Here."

Sam pulled out his phone, and Dean and Castiel came over to look. A map with a flashing dot labeled _'Angela'_ showed where she was, as the phone received an email notification from Charlie. Sam opened it, and it said, _'Sam, can't talk now. DL this file!'_ Attached to the email was a document labeled _'FORANGIE.'_ Sam downloaded it, then walked over and showed the file to Rowena.

"Is this what I think it is?" Sam questioned.

"Oh, that little minx." Rowena gasped. "She's cracked the code."

"Can you read the Book of the Damned with it?" Dean raised his brows.

"Every last word. We can cure the Mark of Cain." Rowena confirmed.

"Cas, go find Angie, make sure she doesn't go too far off the reservation, okay?" Dean instructed.

"What are you doing?" Castiel frowned.

"We're saving my wife," Sam replied.

"You told Angela—

"I know what I told Angie." Sam interrupted. "Cas, look. Dean and I have been the ones out there, messed up and scared. And alone. Ang Angie—

"She did whatever she could to save you." Castiel finished.

"Yeah." Dean nodded. "She's been here for us, no matter what. We owe her this. Look, we know she pretends she can ride the mark out, but we all know the truth. We know what happens if we don't cure her. We know where that road ends."

"Black eyes and blood," Castiel muttered grimly.

"Yes." Sam nodded. "Go. Find her, Cas. Keep her safe."

"Okay," Castiel replied before leaving.

"Oooh, I do love a bit of intrigue," Rowena smirked.

"Right, less talk, more translating. Go." Dean demanded.

"About that," she pursed her lips. "I said I _can_ read the book, never said I would."

"We had a deal." Sam narrowed his eyes.

"We did, we do." She agreed. "And it's time you held up your end. I want my son dead."

"And we'll kill Crowley-

"Now." Rowena interrupted Dean. "Once I cast the spell—and you need me to cast that spell—who knows what'll happen."

Sam handed Grace to Dean and slammed his hands angrily on the table. "We don't have time for this!"

"Right, you don't!" Rowena retorted. "Your wife's a walkin' freakin' time bomb, and the clock, she's a ticking. So, you will kill my son, and you will do it my way, now!"

~/~\~

Angela, in her car, turned a corner. A cop's siren and flashing lights went off and appeared behind her. Angela groaned and pulled over, grabbing one of her fake I.D.s. Angela rolled down her window as the officer walked up.

"What's the problem, officer?" she asked.

"License and reg." the officer replied.

"Yep." Angela nodded, handing it over.

"Ashley J. Williams, huh?" the officer quirked a brow.

"Mm." Angela nodded.

"Out of the car, Ashley." The officer instructed.

And complied and got out of the car. "Well, I wasn't speeding, I'm sober, _mostly_ sober, so what's this about?"

"Blinker's out." The officer answered.

A second officer, standing behind the car, took his nightstick and smashed the right-side taillight of Angela's car.

"Hey!" she exclaimed.

"That's a violation." The second officer replied.

"Don't," Angela warned.

The second officer smashed the other taillight.

"Two lights out." The first officer commented.

"Son of a bitch," Angela growled.

She tried to charge at the second officer, but the first one grabbed her and slammed her against the car, then handcuffed her.

"And attempted assault of a police officer." The first officer noted. "Looks like we're taking you down to the station, sweetheart."

"Oh, I ain't your sweetheart, Cletus." Angela sassed.

"Right now you are, so you best settle. Or you're gonna get an ass-whuppin', instead of a phone call." The officer threatened.

~/~\~

Angela was handcuffed to a chair in front of the second officer's desk at the police station. The officer was going through Angela's box of fake I.D.s. Angela said nothing, just stared at the officer unblinkingly with a murderous look on her face.

"Joan Jett, Stevie Nicks, Patti Smith. Damn." The officer chuckled. "I mean, they said you were a pro, but…"

"Who said that?" Angela tilted her head.

"I'll ask the questions here." The officer replied.

"Hmm." She hummed.

"Like, for example, you got 17 fake I.D.s, a bunk of weapons in your trunk… I mean, who are you, darlin'?" the officer questioned.

"I'm the woman that's gonna get out of here in about… 30 seconds," Angela answered.

The officer scoffed audibly. "Yeah, right."

Angela leaned forward, staring at the officer. She reached out and knocked the mug full of pens off of the desk and onto the floor.

"Real mature." The officer rolled his eyes.

He got up and walked around the desk to pick up the mug. When he leaned down, Angela punched him in the face with her free arm and threw him onto the floor, holding the officer on the ground with her legs.

"Keys." She demanded. "Keys, now!"

The officer reached around and held out his keys. Angela grabbed them, and then stomped on the officer's face with her foot, knocking him unconscious. Angela then unlocked her handcuffs.

~/~\~

The first officer stood at the window talking to someone on his phone. He didn't realize that Angela had entered the office and was standing behind him, holding a gun.

"She was driving a '68 Ford Falcon. Sure, can do." The officer said before hanging up.

"Who're you talking to?" Angela asked.

The officer turned around, surprised. "Nobody."

Angela advanced on the officer. "Nobody?" she asked before punching him in the face with the butt of her gun. "That is for lying to me, and that…" she punched him again. "Is for my car. Now," she threw him onto the desk and held him down, gun pointed at his throat. "Who were you talking to?!"

"Monroe Styne." He answered. "He said if I saw you I was supposed to bring you in. And then call him."

"Monroe." Angela narrowed her eyes. "Any relation to Eldon?"

"His daddy." The officer replied.

"Where can I find them?" Angela interrogated.

"You can't take on the Stynes." The officer shook his head. "They own this town. They're practically gods around here."

"Yeah, well I kill gods," Angela replied.

~/~\~

"Angela? Angela?" Crowley asked as he walked into the abandoned building.

Out of nowhere, a gun fired and Crowley collapsed against a wall, unable to move, holding his hand over the bullet wound. Sam emerged from the shadows.

"Devil's trap bullet." Sam glared.

"Moose!" Crowley exclaimed. "Shooting me from behind. Poor form, even for you. Where's Angela?"

"Not here," Sam replied vaguely.

Crowley's brows furrowed in confusion. "She called me."

"Did she?" Sam pulled out his phone and played a recording of Angela saying, 'Hey, I need your help.'

"Oh." Crowley pursed his lips. "Aren't you a clever kitty? Does she know you're doing this? I only ask because your wife and I, such close friends now."

"Friends." Sam scoffed in disbelief. "You're the reason Angie has the Mark of Cain! Everything that's happening! All of this. It's your fault! So, this… you've had this coming for a long time."

Crowley noticed that Sam was holding Ruby's knife. "You really think I'm frightened of that toothpick?"

"I don't care." Sam seethed as he pulled out a hex bag and put it in Crowley's pocket.

"A hex bag?" Crowley questioned.

"By the way," Sam smirked lightly. "She said to tell you, she should have taken the three pigs."

"Mother!" Crowley cursed.

All of a sudden, Crowley tensed up in pain, eyes wide. He slid down the wall and fell onto the floor, unable to breathe and coughing up blood. Sam stood over him, unemotional.


	44. The Prisoner Part 2

Angela jumped a man that stood in front of the Styne house and stabbed a knife into his neck, killing him instantly. She left the man dead on the ground and stalked toward the house.

Near the front door, another man stood guard. He seemed to sense something, and walked forward a bit, looking around. When he turned back to face the door, he saw Angela standing there, with another guy in a headlock, pointing his gun at him. Angela shot both men dead.

Angela entered the dark house, and when she reached the middle of the entrance hall, the room was flooded with light, and what looked to be at least 10 people appeared over the stair railings above, all aiming guns at her. Monroe emerged from among them.

"Angela Winchester." He greeted.

From behind Angela, Eli pulled a plastic bag over her head, causing her to struggle for air.

~/~\~

"I thought you were the smart one." Crowley shook his head. "Working with my mother. Are you insane?! You _actually_ trust her?"

"'Course not. Not even a little." Sam replied obviously.

"Then why? What has she got over you?" Crowley questioned.

Sam rolled his eyes, annoyed. "Will you just die already?"

"That's what I get." Crowley scoffed, spitting up blood.

"What?" Sam's brows furrowed in confusion.

"I said, that's what I get for trying to be the good guy," Crowley replied.

"Wait a second," Sam's brows shot up. "So, _you're_ the good guy?"

"Do you have any idea what I've been at for the past year? The changes I made to Hell!" Crowley retorted incredulously.

"Am I supposed to be impressed by that?" Sam deadpanned.

"Yes!" Crowley coughed up more blood. "I thought if I did better, I might actually feel something again. That it might matter."

"It doesn't matter." Sam shook his head. "Maybe everybody else forgot about all the bad you've done, but I haven't! I have watched you kill people, Crowley. Innocent people! People I cared about, people I loved!" Sam roared. "So yeah, you have the accent, and the suit, and the snark, but at the end of it, you are a monster! Just like all the rest of them. And I'm gonna watch you die, screaming. Just like all the rest of them."

"You're right. I am a monster." Crowley agreed. "And I've done bad. I've done things you can't even imagine. Horrible, evil, messy things." Crowley coughed, then turned his head to look up at Sam with his dark, red eyes. "And I've loved every. Damn. Minute."

Sam looked at him, confused, even worried. Crowley pulled the bullet out of his wound, and stood up.

"So, thank you, Sam." He continued. "For reminding me who I _really_ am."

Crowley flicked his hand and sent Sam flying across the room, smashing through glass windows into the next room. Crowley sauntered over to Sam, holding the hex bag.

"Powerful magic. Might have worked on any other demon." Crowley commented. "But me? Please."

From the ground, Sam watched as the hex bag burst into flames. He saw Ruby's knife on the ground and tried to reach it, but Crowley sent it flying away with a wave of his hand. Crowley stood over Sam, with his fingers ready to make a snapping motion. Sam watched him, defenseless.

"I could kill you. Snap my fingers, easiest thing in the world." Crowley whispered, lowing his hand. "From here on, I want you to know that the only reason you're alive is because I allowed it. And I want you to deliver a message. You tell that ginger whore that I gave her a chance to walk away and she spat in my face. So, now, she'll never see me coming."

Crowley vanished, leaving Sam alone in the abandoned building.

~/~\~

Angela was strapped to the operating table. Monroe, Eli, and several others were gathered around her, preparing her tools. Angela slowly regained consciousness.

"Morning, Sunshine." Monroe drawled. "Monroe Styne. Pleasure."

"Ditto," Angela muttered groggily. "I'd shake your hand, but uh…"

"Well I have to say, I am impressed, the way you charged in here, all guns blazin'." Monroe continued. "I'd buy tickets to that show. You didn't think that was actually gonna work, did you?"

"Usually does," Angela replied.

"Then I guess you know what comes next," Monroe smirked.

"You're gonna play Operation." She sassed.

"It is my favorite game." Monroe chuckled.

"Don't do this," Angela warned.

"Well, uh, darlin', we are… we are past the bargaining stage." Monroe shook his head.

"No. The mark on my arm means that I can't die. I'm not bargaining." Angela replied darkly. "You flatline me, I _will_ come back. But I'll come back with black eyes. And then you'll all die."

"And we'll let you go, then what? You'll just mosey on down the road?" Eli scoffed.

"No," Angela replied. "But I will be human. So, maybe a few of you live. Maybe."

"You make a compelling case," Monroe admitted. "And I hope you're right. Because a woman that doesn't die, well now that is a perfect lab rat." He added as Eli gagged Angela. "Alright. Let's crack this piñata."

Monroe took his scalpel and went to make the first cut. However, Angela broke one of her arms free from the restraint and grabbed Monroe's arm. She then head-butted him, sat up, grabbed a knife, freed her other arm, and fatally slit Eli's throat. The female Styne grabbed a syringe and charged at Angela. Angela grabbed the woman, slammed her onto the operating table, and jammed the syringe she was holding into her neck, killing her. Angela then went after Monroe, grabbing him and throwing him against a door before securing him in a headlock, choking him.

"You took something from me." She snarled. "Now, I'm gonna take _everything_ from you."

"It's too late." Monroe coughed. "Your home… your family… they… will…"

Angela snapped Monroe's neck and his body fell into a corner. Angela took a moment and surveyed her handiwork. She then reached into Monroe's pocket and retrieved a gun. She left the room, kicking the door open in a cold fury.

~/~\~

Dean paced the room, bouncing Grace in his arms as Rowena's phone started ringing.

"Put it on speaker," Dean commanded.

 _"It didn't work."_ Sam's voice rang through once Rowena answered.

"What do you mean, Sammy?" Dean's brows furrowed.

 _"I mean, that juiced-up hex bag Rowena gave me."_ Sam retorted. _"Crowley set it on fire."_

"But you still have him trapped?" Dean asked.

 _"Yeah, not so much."_ Sam scoffed.

"Bloody hell." Rowena shook her head.

 _"What am I supposed to do, Rowena, how am I supposed to kill him?"_ Sam demanded.

"I'm sure you'll figure something out," Rowena replied nonchalantly.

 _"What?"_ Sam asked incredulously.

"You've got a job to do, Samuel, you'll get it done!" she snapped before hanging up.

~/~\~

Sam was still outside of the abandoned building when his phone started ringing. "Yeah?"

 _"It's me."_ Castiel's voice rang through.

"Hey," Sam replied. "Did you find her?"

 _"Not yet."_ Castiel sighed heavily. _"But I'm at the Styne estate in Louisiana, and… Angela was here."_

"Are you sure?" Sam asked.

 _"I'm sure."_ The angel assured.

Sam closed his eyes and swallowed nervously. "How bad is it?"

 _"There are three bodies down here and more than a dozen upstairs in the main house,"_ Castiel explained. _"She killed… she killed everyone. And brutally."_

"Alright." Sam cringed. "I'm on my way."

 _"No. Don't bother, Sam,"_ Castiel replied. _"The GPS says she's headed North."_

"Where?" Sam's brows furrowed.

 _"Home,"_ Castiel answered. _"Angela's coming home."_

~/~\~

Eldon poured gasoline on the pile of books in the bunker's library and lit a match. He was about to set the pile on fire, when footsteps could be heard. Roscoe stumbled in, and collapsed against a wall, revealing that he had been stabbed in the back.

"Roscoe?" Eldon frowned.

As Roscoe fell to the floor, dead, Eldon and Cyrus looked up to see Angela walk in, stone-faced, and covered in blood spatters.

"Well, there she is." Eldon drawled. "I hope you brought marshmallows."

"Been looking for you." Angela glared darkly.

"Oh yeah? Why is that?" Eldon smirked. "Oh, wait. You're not still sore about um, what's her name?"

"Charlie. Her name was Charlie." Angela seethed.

"Yeah, well." Eldon shrugged. "Chuckie, she got what she deserved. Wanna know how I did her? It's a kinda funny story—

"Shut up." Angela interrupted, rage practically radiating from her body.

"Straight to it, then. I respect that." Eldon nodded. "See, you got lucky before. This time, I'm sporting some new upgrades. See, my old man—

"You're old man's dead." Angela cut him off. "They're _all_ dead. So, you can save me the speech on the three hearts, the two spleens, the seven nipples, for the ladies… or the fellas, I don't judge. But even with all that, you still only have _one_ brain."

"So?" Eldon scoffed.

Angela drew her gun and shot Eldon in the head before he had even realized what happened. Eldon dropped dead and Angela then pointed the gun at Cyrus.

"No, no, no, no! Don't!" Cyrus held his hands up.

"Why not? You're one of them." Angela glowered

"No. No, I'm not!" Cyrus's voice shook as he spoke. "Okay, I hate my family! See, look!" he pulled up his shirt. "No stitches! I'm not like them, I promise."

"Oh, you are like them. There's bad in you. It's in your blood." Angela replied icily. "Now you can try and deny it and you can run from it all you want, but that bad… will always win."

Cyrus shook his head, close to tears. "I'll do anything you want. Okay, please. You don't need to do this. Please."

Angela hesitated, pursing her lips. "Yeah. I do."

Angela shot Cyrus in the head, killing him instantly. A few seconds later, Castiel arrived.

"Angela!" he bellowed, causing her to turn to face him. "What have you done?"

~/~\~

Castiel knelt next to Cyrus's body. "You _killed_ him."

"I took down a monster. Because that's what I do." Angela shrugged. "And I'll continue to do that until…"

"Until you become the monster." Castiel finished.

"You can leave now, Cas," Angela commanded.

"No. I can't." he shook his head. "Because I'm your friend."

"Really?" Angela scoffed. "Well, let me ask you something. Do you screw over all your friends?"

"Sam, Dean, and I were trying to cure you! We still are!" Castiel exclaimed in defense.

"Like hell." Angela glared.

"We can read the Book now," Castiel revealed.

"Oh, so what?" Angela raised her brows. "So, you _might_ find a spell that _might_ take this crap off my arm? But even if you do, what's it gonna cost? 'Cause magic like that does not come free. No, it comes with a price that you pay in blood. So, thanks, but I'm good."

Angela turned to leave, but Castiel grabbed her shoulder to stop her.

"No!" he snapped. "You're not. Maybe you could fight the mark for years. Maybe centuries, like Cain did. But you _cannot_ fight it forever. And when you finally turn, and you will turn… Sam, Dean, Grace, and everyone you know, everyone you love… they could be long dead. Everyone except me." He stressed. "I'm the one who will have to watch you _murder_ the world, Angela. So, if there's even a small chance that we can save you, I won't let you walk out of this room."

"Oh, you think you have a choice." Angela retorted condescendingly.

"I think the mark is changing you," Castiel stressed.

"You're wrong." Angela sneered.

"Am I?" Castiel raised his brows. "Because the Angela Winchester I know would _never_ have murdered that kid."

"Yeah, well, that Angela's always been kind of a bitch." Angela retorted, attempting to leave again.

"Angela," Castiel stopped her. "I don't wanna have to hurt you."

Angela chuckled darkly. "I don't think that's gonna be a problem."

Angela grabbed Castiel's hand and wrenched it off her shoulder, then punched him hard in the face with her other hand.

"Angela," Castiel pleaded.

She punched Castiel over and over, then threw him on the floor harshly. Castiel, bloody, got up, still trying to stop Angela from leaving.

"Angela, stop." He coughed.

Halfway to the doorway, Angela turned around and launched a new attack on Castiel, beating him up worse than before. As Castiel lied on the floor, half-conscious and coughing up blood, Angela pulled the angel blade from his coat. She grabbed Castiel's tie and prepared to stab him. Castiel weakly grabbed her hand.

"No, Angela. Please." He begged weakly, coughing up blood.

Angela stared coldly at Castiel, gripping the angel blade. She stabbed the book that was right next to Castiel's face and stood up.

"You, Sam, and Dean stay the hell away from me." She seethed as she started walking away. "Next time, I won't miss."

Castiel, still on the floor, watched Angela leave in horror.


	45. Brother's Keeper Part 1

_Lebanon, Kansas_

Grace was currently at Jody's while Sam and Dean sat at one of the tables in the bunker with several bullets on a rack, a vice and syringe sat in a bottle of blue liquid. Castiel walked into the room.

"Anything?" he asked concernedly.

"12 voicemails. She must've turned her phone off, 'cause we can't track it." Dean explained. "So, a big heaping scoop of nothing. We need Rowena to hold up her end of the bargain—now."

Castiel rolled his eyes, turned away, and sighed in frustration.

"What?" Sam asked as he took a hammer to the top of the bullet.

"Nothing," Castiel muttered. "It's—it's just if she removed the mark using 'The Book of the Damned'… What of the consequences?"

"Which are what?" Dean questioned.

"Angela said—

"Angie guessed!" Sam snapped before taking a deep breath. "Cas, what are we supposed to do, huh? Just sit on our asses, do nothing?"

"No. We find Angela." Castiel replied, raising his voice slightly.

"And then what?!" Sam demanded loudly. "The only thing that stopped Cain was death. Do you want to kill Angie? Because I don't. And the only way I know how to save my wife is to cure the mark. And, yes, Dean and I know there will be consequences, but not you, not Angie, not anybody can tell us what those consequences are. So, I'm not gonna let my wife d-destroy herself on a guess. We save Angie."

~/~\~

_Superior, Nebraska_

Angela was laying on the carpeted floor in the dingy motel, looking ragged. As a truck horn blared outside, Angela startled away and lifted her head off the ground and grabbed a beer from the nightstand, taking a swig.

"I'm good. I'm good." She mumbled, trying to convince herself.

~/~\~

A girl in a short denim skirt and a floral tank top was lying dead in the ditch with blood around her neck. Angela looked down at the girl from the top of the ditch and the sheriff came up alongside her.

"Rose McKinley. Raised up about three miles from here." The sheriff explained. "Nice parents, God-fearin' folk."

"Well, they let her leave the house looking like a whore," Angela replied bluntly. "Let me tell you, my daughter would never leave the house like that."

"Whoa." The sheriff's eyes widened. "Why don't you tell me what you really think, Agent?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, sheriff. My bad." Angela replied, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"Let me tell you how we work out here, darlin'," the sheriff started. "That right there could be the whore of Babylon—wouldn't make no difference at all. 'Cause all I see is somebody's little girl."

"And I feel like a real jerk suggesting otherwise, sheriff. My apologies." She apologized, not really sounding apologetic. "Good luck crackin' the case with your eyes shut." She added as the sheriff walked away.

The sheriff stopped and turned back to look at Angela. "You worked some pretty dark stuff in your day, haven't you, Agent? Must've left quite a mark."

"Oh, you have no idea," Angela replied, a darkness in her eyes.

A man walked past the sheriff toward Angela.

"Your partner's a piece of work, Agent." The sheriff commented to the man.

"Yeah, ain't she, though?" the man replied. "Angie! Welcome to the party."

Angela rolled her eyes, annoyed. "The hell you doing here, Rudy?"

"Ah, you know," Rudy chuckled. "Just a thing I got for dead girls. Just—just workin' a gang of fang, you know? Just like you."

"Yeah, not today you're not." Angela pursed her lips. "I'm gonna need you to take a walk on this one."

Rudy's brows furrowed in confusion. "Uh, okay, except, uh—except I called you, so, uh, if anybody's walking, it's—

"Oh, you called me?" Angela interrupted. "No, no. You _begged_ me. Just like Tuscaloosa, just like Old Lyme, we both know you're playing dress-up out here, and it's just a matter of time before you get yourself killed. So, why don't you take that walk and let the real hunters do the work?" she patted Rudy on the arm and started to walk away.

"Agents!" the sheriff yelled from across the road where his vehicle was parked. "New deal. Rose wasn't alone when she disappeared. Friend named Crystal Thorrson was with her, and Crystal is still AWOL. I'm heading over to interview the parents. How about we agree y'all sit this one out?"

"You know something?" Rudy narrowed his eyes at Angela. "Life's too short… Partner. You know, I don't know what crawled up your ass today, but frankly, I don't care. Regards to Sam and Dean."

~/~\~

Rowena was drinking tea out of a Styrofoam cup, still at the table she had been chained to. Castiel, Sam, and Dean were standing there; Sam and Dean had their guns aimed at her.

"Hello, boys." She greeted. "Just in time for tea—u-unless something on your mind?"

"Five things, actually." Sam cocked his gun. "Hollow tips filled with witch-killing brew."

"How exciting for you." Rowena hummed. "Your NRA will be beside themselves with pride."

"No more games, Rowena. Do the spell now." Dean glared threateningly.

"Or what, exactly?" Rowena raised her brows. "We all know that gun is nothing but a bluff. Charlie may have cracked the codex, but who's going to read it if I'm gone? Not to mention handling the ingredients, getting the measurements just right." she added. "Unless, of course, any of you have spent years of your life studying with the greats, mastering the intricacies of high witchcraft? But forgive me. Maybe you have. I know you're upset. We all are. Poor Angela. Let's just have a nice wee cup of tea and negotiate."

Sam uncocked his gun and stalked toward the table. "What do you want?"

"Oh, well, we know what I wanted." Rowena scoffed. "Soiled the sheets on that one, didn't we? Let's talk about what I'll take—my freedom guaranteed and the codex."

"Sam, you can't be—

"Do you know which spell?" Sam asked, ignoring Castiel.

"I do." She confirmed.

"Sam. Dean. This is a mistake." Castiel stressed.

~/~\~

_Superior, Nebraska_

Angela's car was parked on a residential street while she was inside the house, talking with Rose's parents.

"Rose and Crystal were friends since… forever it seems." Mrs. McKinley explained. "Uh, you think that Crystal could still be in danger?"

"We do, Mrs. McKinley, and the fastest way to find Crystal is to find out who did this to Rose," Angela replied. "Did you notice any change in her behavior recently—uh, new friends, a new boyfriend, maybe a crush?"

"Rose was… a shy girl." Mr. McKinley noted as Angela's eyes drifted to a picture of him and Crystal. "But… you think she might know who did this to her?"

"In Rose's case, she not only knew the person, but, uh, she was trying to have intercourse with them." Angela pursed her lips. "So, I'm just trying to figure out whether it was a boyfriend or whether it was just some random roll in the hay."

Mr. and Mrs. McKinley both looked surprised and upset.

"No." Mrs. McKinley shook her head. "Uh, there were no relations that we're aware of."

"No relations at all. What the hell is this, Agent?" Mr. McKinley demanded angrily.

"I'm just doing my job, Mr. McKinley," Angela replied calmly.

"By suggesting my daughter was a slut?" Mr. McKinley glared.

"I'll admit that thought crossed my mind." Angela shrugged. "Then I came here, and I smelled the deceit and the beatings and the shame that pervade this home."

"You shut your face right now." Mr. McKinley growled.

"And you know what?" Angela continued. "I don't blame Rose anymore. No wonder she put on that skank outfit and went out there looking for validation, right into the arms of the monster that killed her." She added icily. "Joe, who did this?"

Mr. McKinley jumped out of his chair, reached across the coffee table, and punched Angela square in the mouth, though she remained seated.

"No! Joe!" Mrs. McKinley cried.

"Who did this?" Angela demanded as Mr. McKinley punched her again.

"Stop!" Mrs. McKinley begged.

"Joe." Angela cocked her gun and pointed it at his stomach. "Who did this?"

Mr. McKinley stopped his punching and look anguished as he pushed himself away from Angela.

"I don't know. I don't know!" he sobbed.

~/~\~

Angela was walking away from the McKinley house, and as she neared her car, she pulled out her gun, cocked it, turned around, and pointed it right into the face of a young boy.

"Whoa!" the boy held his hands up.

"What?" Angela demanded.

"Crystal, she's still…" the boy stammered.

"Why?" Angela asked.

"There were these guys living out by Cross Creek, said they were rehabbing a cabin out there." The boy explained as Angela put her gun away. "Mostly, I think they just wanted a place to drink and meet girls."

"And Crystal and your sister knew these guys?" Angela interrogated. "But you couldn't be bothered to tell the cops that when your sister turned up dead?"

"I was sort of the one who brought them out there in the first place." The boy replied guiltily.

~/~\~

"Sumsu mimma ezebu ily ma ikkibu. Lu." Rowena read from the Book of the Damned. "S-something made by God, but forbidden to man."

"Forbidden?" Dean asked.

"The forbidden fruit?" Castiel's brows shot up.

"No." Sam scoffed. "The actual apple is the first ingredient?"

"Sumsu mimma ezeba Lu," Rowena continued.

"Okay, uh, what's next?" Dean sighed deeply.

"Something made by man, but forbidden by God." Rowena translated.

"Okay, well, God forbade false idols, right?" Sam suggested.

"The Golden Calf," Castiel commented.

"Wasn't that destroyed?" Sam frowned.

"Sumsu mimma sen arramu." Rowena continued.

"Great," Sam muttered sarcastically, clearing his throat. "What's the third ingredient?"

"Oh." Rowena's brows shot up.

"What?" Dean asked, confused.

"The third ingredient, it's impossible," Rowena replied.

"What is it?" Sam questioned.

"Loosely translated—my heart," Rowena answered.

"It's not impossible at all," Castiel muttered.

"Not my little heart, feathers." Rowena rolled her eyes. "Something I love, the spell calls for me to kill it."

"A sacrifice." Sam realized.

"Precisely." She nodded. "The book will grant freedom from the curse, but it wants something in return."

"Well, then give it." Dean glared.

"Bring me something I love, I'll kill it!" Rowena snapped. "I want my freedom too much to make a fuss over that. The—the problem is, I don't love anything."

"What about Crowley?" Castiel asked, brows furrowed.

"Happy to kill him. Let's not call it love." Rowena scoffed.

"I don't believe you. Everyone loves something." Castiel walked over to Rowena and placed two fingers on her forehead. "Polish boy. Oskar."

Rowena's eyes widened as Castiel pulled his fingers back from her forehead. "I'm sorry. Oskar? You saw Oskar?"

"Who is he?" Sam asked curiously.

"Who was he? Uh, a peasant boy—his family helped me through some difficulties, 300 years ago." Rowena explained.

Suddenly, Dean's phone walked away. He and Sam walked away from Castiel and Rowena to answer it.

"Rudy," Dean greeted, putting the phone on speaker. "What's up?"

 _"Wish I could say it was good news, Dean."_ Rudy sighed heavily. _"I just bumped into Angie working a fang banger case in Superior."_

Sam's brows furrowed in confusion. "Angie's in Nebraska, w-working a case?"

 _"Yeah, my case."_ Rudy scoffed. _"And, uh… She's not playing well with others."_

"Yeah, Angie's not exactly in the best place right now," Dean replied. "You know what? Do us a favor. Just text me the details, would you?"

 _"Alright. Whatever you guys need."_ Rudy sighed.

"Okay. Thanks." Sam replied before Rudy hung up.

"What's going on?" Castiel asked as he approached the brothers.

"Cas, take this." Sam handed Castiel a plastic bag. "It's Angie's hair. You need it for a spell. Cas, we need you to do this. Make the spell happen whatever it takes, please."

~/~\~

_Superior, Nebraska_

Angela charged at the vampire, a machete in her hand. The vampire snarled and bore his fangs right before Angela swung the machete and swiftly cut off the vampire's head. Angela stalked toward the cabin and kicked the door down. She looked around the room and saw a man holding Rudy, whose face was beaten, around the chest with one hand and holding a knife to his neck with the other. Crystal knelt on a bed, her hands tied to a post.

"Angie, uh, this is Reggie." Rudy stammered. "We're just gonna talk, alright? And—and come to an understanding."

Reggie pointed the knife at Angela, glaring at her. "Back your ass out of the room, and leave the blade."

Angela looked down at the machete and pursed her lips. "Yeah. No. Rudy, walk away."

"No, A—no, A-Angie, just do what he says, okay?" Rudy started panicking.

"He's not gonna kill you." Angela retorted. "You're his insurance, alright? Now man the hell up and walk away."

"Oh, I will kill him, friend," Reggie promised. "You keep yappin', I will."

"Do it." Angela glared.

"Angie!" Rudy went wide-eyed.

"Back up," Reggie commanded.

"Do it," Angela repeated, stalking toward Reggie and Rudy.

"D-don't test me." Reggie stammered.

"Angie, stop!" Rudy begged.

"You don't have the guts." Angela taunted Reggie.

Reggie pointed the knife tip over Rudy's chest, whose eyes were wide with fear. Angela made as if to jump at Reggie, and he plunged the knife into Rudy's chest. Crystal screamed and Angela just looked annoyed. As Rudy fell forward, Angela moved in and sliced Reggie's head off with the machete.

"What did you do?!" Crystal screamed in fear.

Angela looked down at the ground and for a brief second, she looked slightly confused as she looked up. "You're Crystal, right? Yeah, well…" she cut the ropes off Crystal's wrists. "I just rescued you."

"He—you could've talked. You just…" Crystal cried.

Angela turned around, stepping over Rudy's corpse as she walked out of the cabin. "You're welcome."

~/~\~

Angela washed her hands in the motel sink and looked at her reflection in the mirror. When she looked again she saw Castiel, his face bloody. Angela looked away, troubled, or maybe even scared. She continued to wash her hands and looked up again, only to see Rudy in the mirror reflection. Angela washed her hands more vigorously and looked away, visibly upset. She punched the mirror, slammed the phone off the wall, and threw the TV to the floor and proceeded to thoroughly trash the motel room in a fit of rage. When she was done, she breathed heavily, looking anguished.

~/~\~

Sam and Dean, in their FBI apparel, crossed the police tape outside the shack and walked toward the ambulance. Crystal sat inside, in shock, being attended to. The brothers walked into the shack and stood next to the sheriff.

"Agents." He greeted. "Maybe you can tell me what in the hell is going on here."

Sam and Dean saw Rudy and Reggie, dead on the floor of the cabin.

"The way the girl outside tells it is one of your agents came in hot, got her partner killed, then went some kind of samurai on that son of a bitch over there." The sheriff explained. "I knew that boy…"

~/~\~

Sam and Dean drove down the dark road, both of them looking confused when they saw Angela's car parked outside the motel. The brothers went to the door, guns in hand.

"Angie, it's us." Sam knocked.

When there was no answer, Sam broke the door down and noticed a broken chair by the door. Dean turned on the lights and the brothers took in the rest of the trashed room.

"Dammit, kid," Dean muttered, shaking his head.

~/~\~

Angela stood in the abandoned Mexican restaurant and threw a can of spray paint into her duffel bag. She had painted a symbol on one of the tables and started preparing the ingredients for a spell. She dumped the ingredients into a bowl in the middle of the symbol. There were lighted candles around the symbol. Angela took out her knife and made a cut on her palm. As the blood dripped into the bowl, she chanted in Latin.

"Te nunc invoco, mortem. Te in mea potestate defixi." Angela chanted as the lights in the building started popping and rumbling started. "Nunc et in aeternum."

The rumbling stopped and Angela wrapped her hand in a blue bandana.

"Don't tell me that's queso." Death said from behind Angela.

"Yeah—yes," Angela turned around to face Death. "Queso and, uh, taquitos, tamales." She brought a tray of food over to Death. "Homemade by yours truly. All with the bad fat. Consider it an offering."

"For?" Death quirked a brow.

"I want you to kill me," Angela replied seriously.


	46. Brother's Keeper Part 2

Death was eating one of the taquitos while Angela still held the tray of food.

"What I find truly fascinating, Angela… mmm. That's good… is that you and I both know that I've been burned by you, Sam, and Dean before, yet you still call." Death walked away from her.

"Yeah, I know, but not this time, okay?" Angela walked over to Death and put down the tray. "No games, no second thoughts. I know you know what this is." She held out her forearm with the mark on it. "I know you know what it can do. I've tried to fight it. I've tried to beat it on my own. And I-I can't. I got no moves left—except you."

"Well, I never thought I'd see the day." Death commented as he sat down. "My goodness. Angela Winchester has tipped over her king. But I won't kill you, Angela."

Angela frowned in confusion. "You're Death."

"And that mark on your arm is the First Curse." Death retorted. "Nothing can kill you."

"Okay, well, forget killing me." Angela shrugged. "Can you get rid of it?"

"I could." Death nodded.

"But…" Angela trailed off.

"Creatio ex nihilo—God created the earth out of nothing—or so your Sunday-school teacher would have you believe." Death explained.

Angela scoffed lightly. "What, so Genesis is a lie, eh? Shocker."

"Before there was light," Death stood up. "Before there was God and the archangels, there wasn't nothing. There was the Darkness, a horribly destructive, amoral force that was beaten back by God and his archangels in a terrible war." He explained. "God locked the Darkness away where it could do no harm, and he created a mark that would serve as both lock and key, which he entrusted to his most valued lieutenant, Lucifer. But the mark began to assert its own will, revealed itself as a curse, and began to corrupt. Lucifer became jealous of man. God banished Lucifer to Hell. Lucifer passed the Mark to Cain, who passed the mark to you, the proverbial finger in the dike."

"Well, that is just fan-friggin-tastic, isn't it?" Angela remarked sarcastically as she sat down.

"So, I could remove the mark, but only if you will share it with another…" Death leaned down so he was eye-to-eye with Angela. "To ensure that the lock remains unbroken and the Darkness remains banned."

"I'm not doing that… not to anyone." Angela shook her head in refusal.

"What if I told you I could relocate you somewhere far away," Death suggested as he walked away from Angela. "Not even on this earth, where you would still be alive, but no longer a danger to yourself or to others?"

~/~\~

_Superior, Nebraska_

Sam and Dean walked out of the motel room, and Sam's phone started ringing. He saw Angela's name on the screen and immediately put the phone speaker.

"Angie," he greeted worriedly.

 _"I gave it a shot, Sammy."_ Angela's defeated voice rang through.

"Listen to me—whatever you're doing, whatever you've done, please…" Sam begged.

 _"Hell, I even worked a case. I gave everything I had to beat this thing down."_ Angela replied sadly.

"We saw. We saw Rudy." Dean commented.

 _"Well, then, you saw what I did, Dean."_ Angela retorted.

"No, baby, that wasn't you," Sam stressed.

 _"Sure as hell felt like me,"_ Angela replied dejectedly. _"Baby, I'm done."_

"No. No, you're not. Angie." Dean pleaded.

 _"Grab a pen."_ She instructed. _"It's time to say goodbye."_

~/~\~

The Impala pulled up to the restaurant where Angela and Death were. Sam and Dean walked in, stopping suddenly when they saw Angela standing in the middle of the restaurant with Death standing behind her.

"Hey, baby." Sam murmured.

"Hey, kiddo." Dean greeted.

"Sammy. Dean." Angela replied, lips pursed slightly.

"What is this?" Sam asked, brows furrowed in confusion.

"We need to talk," Angela replied seriously.

Sam walked toward Angela with his hand out. "Baby, whatever you are thinking of doing, don't. There is another way. You don't need to go with him. You don't need to die!"

"Funny you say that." Angela started. "Truth is, when I left, I thought the only way out was my death. Well, I was wrong, boys. It's yours."

Dean's brows furrowed and Sam breathed heavily, equally confused as his brother.

~/~\~

"What?" Dean scoffed. "He's gonna… Gonna send you into outer space?"

"No, well, he didn't say outer space." Angela huffed.

"This is madness, Angie!" Sam snapped.

"Far from it, I'm afraid." Death commented.

"No one's asking you." Dean narrowed his eyes at Death.

"Hear him out!" Angela yelled at the brothers.

"Our conundrum is simple," Death started. "Angela cannot be killed, and the mark cannot be destroyed, not without inciting a far greater evil than any of us have ever known."

"What evil?" Dean questioned.

"The Darkness," Angela answered.

Sam frowned deeply, obviously confused. "What the hell is that?"

"Well, what the hell does it sound like? Does it sound like a good thing?" Angela raised her brows.

"Even if I remove Angela from the playing field, we're still left with you two, loyal, dogged Sam and Dean, who I suspect will never rest until they set Angela free." Death explained as he walked around Angela to stand between the hunters. "Will never rest until Angela is free of the mark, which simply cannot happen, lest the Darkness be set free. Then there was that time you stood me up, Sam."

Sam looked over at Angela, unable to believe what was happening. "You traded our lives."

"I'm willing to live with this thing, _forever_ , as long as I know that I and it will never hurt another living this." Angela defended.

"This isn't you, kiddo." Dean shook his head as he and Sam walked over to Angela. "This doesn't make any sense."

"No, it makes perfect sense if you stop thinking about yourselves for one damn minute!" Angela yelled.

"It's for the greater good." Death added. "Once you consider that, this makes all the sense in the world."

~/~\~

"Sammy, remember when we were in that church, making Crowley human, about to close the Gates of Hell?" Angela reminded. "Well, you sure as hell were ready to die for the greater good then."

"Yeah, and Angie, you and Dean pulled me back!" Sam retorted.

"And we were wrong." Angela shrugged. "You were right, Sam. You knew that this world would be better without us in it."

"No, no, no, wait a second." Sam shook his head. "You're twisting my words here, Angie."

"Why?" Angela asked. "Because we—we track evil and kill it? The family business? Is that it? Look at the tape, guys. Evil tracks us. And it nukes everything in our vicinity—our family, our friends. Sam, you and I had a child knowing the lives we live. It's time we put a proper name to what we really are and we deal with it."

"Wait a second," Dean stopped her. "Kiddo, we are not evil. Listen… We're far from perfect, but we are good. That thing on your arm is evil, but not you, not Sammy, not me."

Angela paced as Dean spoke, alternately walking away from the brothers and then back to them. "I let Rudy die. How was that not evil? I know what I am. But who were you when you—when you two drove that man to sell his soul…Or when you bullied Charlie into getting herself killed? And to what end? A-a good end? A just end? To remove the mark no matter the consequences? How is that not evil?" she interrogated. "I have this thing on my arm, and you two are willing to let the Darkness into the world!"

"You were also willing to summon Death to make sure you could never do any more harm, baby," Sam argued. "You summoned me and Dean because you knew we would do anything to protect you. That's not evil, baby. That's not an evil woman. That is a _good_ woman crying to be heard, searching for… some other way."

"No, there is no other way, Sammy. I'm sorry." She apologized sadly.

Sam clenched his jaw and punched Angela square in the face.

"Good," Angela smirked darkly as she took the bandana off of her hand. "Good. Fight."

Angela punched Sam in the face and threw Dean across the room.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela fought viciously for several punches. Angela punched Dean hard in the head, knocking him to the ground and then threw Sam down next to his brother. Angela looked at the brothers coldly, fueled by the mark and punched the brothers two more times as they tried to get up.

"Okay, okay," Sam placed his hands over his head as Angela looked down at him, annoyed. "That's enough, baby. Hey, that's enough."

"Kiddo," Dean looked up at Angela, his face bloody. "You will never, _ever_ hear us say that you—the _real_ you—is anything but good."

Angela rolled her eyes dramatically at Dean's statement, clearly not believing him.

"But you're right," Sam admitted sadly. "Before you hurt… anyone else, you have to be stopped at any cost. We understand." He looked up at his wife, tears in his eyes. "Do it, baby."

"We forgive you, kiddo," Dean promised.

Death walked over to Angela and handed her a large scythe. "Please. Do me the honor."

Angela looked back at the brothers, who were still kneeling on the floor. Sam was breathing heavily, trying not to openly cry. Angela looked scared for a moment, then looked at the brothers, resigned. Dean inhaled deeply, looked up to Angela, and gave a small nod. Angela closed her eyes and sighed heavily.

"Close your eyes," Angela instructed softly.

Dean continued to look up at Angela, and a tear ran down Sam's face.

"Sammy, Dean… close your eyes." Angela pleaded.

"Wait," Sam reached into his jacket pocket and held some photos in his hand. "Take these. And one day, when you find your way back… Let these be your guide. And they can help you remember what it was to be good… what it was to love."

Sam looked down and placed the various photos on the ground. One picture was of a teenage Angela and her father, another was of Sam and Angela on their wedding day, another one was of Dean and Angela laughing, and the last one was with Sam, Dean, Angela, Castiel, and Grace. Sam looked back up at Angela and she hesitated, looking conflicted.

"It's for family you must proceed, Angela." Death urged. "To be what you are, to become what you've become is a stain on their memory. Do it. Or I will."

Angela looked anguished as she looked back at Sam and Dean. Sam sighed heavily and gave his wife a reassuring nod. The three hunters looked intently at each other for several seconds.

"Forgive me," Angela whispered.

As Angela reared back to swing the scythe, Sam and Dean slammed their eyes shut. She swung the scythe, missed the brothers, and stabbed Death in the chest. When Angela realized what happened she looked horrified as Death turned to ash and crumbled into dust on the floor. Sam, Dean, and Angela looked at each other in shock.

~/~\~

Angela helped Sam and Dean up from the floor. The brothers' faces were severely bruised and bloody.

"You guys okay?" Angela's brows furrowed.

"We'll live, kiddo," Dean grunted.

"What about you, Angie?" Sam asked gently.

"Fantastic. I think I just killed Death." Angela muttered.

~/~\~

Angela stood at her duffel as a shrieking sound could be heard. She turned to face the brothers, a frown on her face.

"That sound right to you guys?" she asked.

Suddenly, a bolt of red lightning crashed through the room and struck Angela's forearm. Her arm and the mark glowed a bright red and crackled until the mark disappeared. The red lightning was blasted from Angela's arm and went back through the roof. Angela screamed in agonizing pain and stared at her arm as the last remnants of the mark faded away.

~/~\~

Sam, Dean, and Angela walked out of the restaurant and into the daylight.

"This is good. Angie, this is good." Sam stressed. "The—the mark is off your arm. Nothing crazy happened."

"Yeah. I'm sure everything's perfectly fine." Angela replied sarcastically.

As they walked away from the restaurant there was a loud crackling sound, and the hunters looked up at the sky simultaneously.

Dean's brows furrowed. "What the hell?"

The sky was glowing dark red and red lightning struck the ground within several feet of Sam, Dean, and Angela. The red lightning crackled across the sky and repeatedly struck the ground.

"What did Death call this?" Sam asked, worried.

"The Darkness," Angela answered, her eyes wide.

The ground started rumbling and columns of black smoke erupted from the ground and into the sky. The hunters looked stunned as the dark cloud started to move toward them.

"Get in the car," Dean commanded.

"Yeah." Sam grabbed Angela's hand. "Let's go, let's go!"

They sprinted and got into the Impala. Dean backed the car away from the restaurant and got the rear wheel stuck in a large, muddy hole. The tire spun as Dean accelerated to get out of the hole and away from the cloud. Sam and Angela were looking out the front window.

"Dean." Angela tapped his arm.

They watched incredulously as the cloud roared toward them for several seconds.

"Dean!" Sam yelled as the Darkness enveloped the Impala.


End file.
